Japanese symbol for “interpret”
訳す
やくす
Romaji: yakusu
to translate; to interpret
In Japanese, interpret is 訳す, read やくす (yakusu).
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
- v5s, vt to translate; to interpret
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “interpret”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取る | とる toru | to take (e.g. a joke); to interpret; to understand |
| 受け取る | うけとる uketoru | to take (someone's words or behaviour); to interpret; to understand |
| 読み解く | よみとく yomitoku | to read and understand; to interpret (e.g. a difficult text); to read deeply |
| 解する | かいする kaisuru | to interpret |
| 訳する | やくする yakusuru | to translate; to interpret |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 翻訳 | ほんやく hon'yaku | translation |
| 申し訳 | もうしわけ moushiwake | apology; excuse |
| 言い訳 | いいわけ iiwake | excuse |
| 通訳 | つうやく tsuuyaku | interpretation (i.e. oral translation) |
| 内訳 | うちわけ uchiwake | itemization (of expenses); the items; breakdown |
See also: Chinese symbol for “interpret”.
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.