Japanese symbol for “lest”
行けない
いけない
Romaji: ikenai
bad; wrong; naughty
In Japanese, lest is 行けない, read いけない (ikenai).
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
- adj-i, exp bad; wrong; naughty
- adj-i, exp must not (do, be); should not; ought not to
- adj-i, exp useless; no good; bad
- adj-i, exp hopeless; beyond hope
- adj-i, exp unfortunate; a shame; a pity
- adj-i, exp unable to drink (alcohol)
Written forms: 行けない. Readings: いけない、イケない.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
| 行う | おこなう okonau | to perform; to do; to conduct oneself |
| 銀行 | ぎんこう ginkou | bank; banking institution |
| 行き | いき iki | the way there; outbound leg; outbound trip |
| 行為 | こうい koui | act; deed; conduct |
| 旅行 | りょこう ryokou | travel; trip; journey |
See also: Chinese symbol for “lest”.
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.