Japanese symbol for “intentionally”
敢えて
あえて
Romaji: aete
purposely (of something needless, unexpected or seemingly counterproductive, etc.); daringly (doing something); deliberately; intentionally
In Japanese, intentionally is 敢えて, read あえて (aete).
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
- adv purposely (of something needless, unexpected or seemingly counterproductive, etc.); daringly (doing something); deliberately; intentionally
- adv not necessarily; not particularly; not especially
- adv definitely not
Written forms: 敢えて、敢て. Readings: あえて.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “intentionally”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 改めて | あらためて aratamete | formally; especially; intentionally |
| 殊更 | ことさら kotosara | intentionally; deliberately; designedly |
| 態と | わざと wazato | on purpose; deliberately; intentionally |
| 好んで | このんで kononde | by (from) choice; by (for) preference; of one's own accord |
| 承知の上で | しょうちのうえで shouchinouede | intentionally; on purpose; deliberately |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勇敢 | ゆうかん yuukan | brave; courageous; gallant |
| 果敢 | かかん kakan | resolute; determined; bold |
| 敢行 | かんこう kankou | decisive action; going through with; daring to do |
| 敢闘 | かんとう kantou | fighting bravely |
| 敢然 | かんぜん kanzen | boldly; bravely; resolutely |
See also: Chinese symbol for “intentionally”.
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.
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