Japanese symbol for “lecture”
講演
こうえん
Romaji: kouen
lecture; address; speech
In Japanese, lecture is 講演, read こうえん (kouen).
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, vi, vs lecture; address; speech
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “lecture”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 講義 | こうぎ kougi | lecture |
| 講ずる | こうずる kouzuru | to lecture; to read aloud; to give a lecture (on) |
| 講じる | こうじる koujiru | to lecture; to read aloud; to give a lecture (on) |
| 講話 | こうわ kouwa | lecture; discourse |
| 説法 | せっぽう seppou | lecture; sermon; preaching |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 講師 | こうし koushi | speaker; lecturer |
| 講義 | こうぎ kougi | lecture |
| 講座 | こうざ kouza | course (e.g. of lectures) |
| 講習 | こうしゅう koushuu | short course; training |
| 講堂 | こうどう koudou | auditorium; lecture hall |
| 出演 | しゅつえん shutsuen | appearance (in a film, play, TV show, etc.); performance |
| 公演 | こうえん kouen | public performance |
| 演奏 | えんそう ensou | musical performance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “lecture”.
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.