Japanese symbol for “learn”
学ぶ
まなぶ
Romaji: manabu
to learn; to study; to take lessons in
In Japanese, learn is 学ぶ, read まなぶ (manabu).
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
- v5b, vt to learn; to study; to take lessons in
Written forms: 学ぶ、學ぶ. Readings: まなぶ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “learn”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 知る | しる shiru | to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of) |
| 覚える | おぼえる oboeru | to learn; to pick up; to acquire |
| 習う | ならう narau | to take lessons in; to be taught; to learn (from a teacher) |
| 教わる | おそわる osowaru | to be taught; to learn; to take lessons in |
| 見習う | みならう minarau | to learn (by observation) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 学校 | がっこう gakkou | school |
| 大学 | だいがく daigaku | university; college |
| 学生 | がくせい gakusei | student (esp. a university student) |
| 科学 | かがく kagaku | science |
| 学園 | がくえん gakuen | educational institution; school; academy |
| 小学校 | しょうがっこう shougakkou | primary school; elementary school; grade school |
See also: Chinese symbol for “learn”.
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.