Japanese symbol for “longing”
憧れ
あこがれ
Romaji: akogare
yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration
In Japanese, longing is 憧れ, read あこがれ (akogare).
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-no, n yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration
Written forms: 憧れ、憬れ. Readings: あこがれ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “longing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 希求 | ききゅう kikyuu | longing; strong desire; aspiration |
| 憧憬 | どうけい doukei | longing; yearning; aspiration |
| 渇望 | かつぼう katsubou | craving; longing; thirsting |
| 切望 | せつぼう setsubou | earnest desire; eager hope; longing |
| 慕情 | ぼじょう bojou | longing; yearning |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 憧れる | あこがれる akogareru | to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after |
| 憧憬 | どうけい doukei | longing; yearning; aspiration |
| 憧れの的 | あこがれのまと akogarenomato | object of adoration, longing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “longing”.
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.