Japanese symbol for “instruct”
教える
おしえる
Romaji: oshieru
to teach; to instruct
In Japanese, instruct is 教える, read おしえる (oshieru).
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
- v1, vt to teach; to instruct
- v1, vt to tell; to inform; to show
- v1, vt to preach
Written forms: 教える、訓える. Readings: おしえる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “instruct”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 含める | ふくめる fukumeru | to instruct; to make one understand |
| 言いつける | いいつける iitsukeru | to tell (to do); to order; to direct |
| 申し付ける | もうしつける moushitsukeru | to instruct; to tell to do; to ask to do |
| 授ける | さずける sazukeru | to teach; to instruct; to impart (knowledge) |
| 含ませる | ふくませる fukumaseru | to soak; to saturate; to suckle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 教育 | きょういく kyouiku | education; schooling; training |
| 教え | おしえ oshie | teaching; instruction; teachings |
| 教授 | きょうじゅ kyouju | professor |
| 教師 | きょうし kyoushi | teacher; instructor |
| 宗教 | しゅうきょう shuukyou | religion; religious affiliation; belief |
| 教室 | きょうしつ kyoushitsu | classroom; lecture room |
See also: Chinese symbol for “instruct”.
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.