Japanese symbol for “instance”
例
れい
Romaji: rei
example; instance; illustration; case
In Japanese, instance is 例, read れい (rei).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n example; instance; illustration; case
- n precedent
- n custom; habit; practice; usage
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “instance”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 回 | かい kai | a time; an instance |
| 引き合い | ひきあい hikiai | reference; example; instance |
| インスタンス | インスタンス insutansu | instance (in object-oriented programming) |
| 一例 | いちれい ichirei | example; an instance |
| 審級 | しんきゅう shinkyuu | instance (e.g. first instance, second instance, etc. in a legal proceeding) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 例えば | たとえば tatoeba | for example; for instance; e.g. |
| 例外 | れいがい reigai | exception |
| 比例 | ひれい hirei | proportion |
| 条例 | じょうれい jourei | regulations; rules |
| 恒例 | こうれい kourei | established practice; custom |
| 例年 | れいねん reinen | average (normal, ordinary) year |
See also: Chinese symbol for “instance”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.