Japanese symbol for “mend”
直す
なおす
Romaji: naosu
to repair; to mend; to fix; to correct (a mistake, bad habit, etc.)
In Japanese, mend is 直す, read なおす (naosu).
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 repair; to mend; to fix; to correct (a mistake, bad habit, etc.); to put right; to restore
- v5s, vt to change; to alter; to convert; to translate
- v5s, vt to put back; to put away
- v5s, vt to cure; to heal
- v5s, vt to move up; to promote
- suf, v5s to do over again; to redo
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mend”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 繕う | つくろう tsukurou | to mend; to patch up; to repair |
| 改める | あらためる aratameru | to reform; to correct; to mend |
| 継ぐ | つぐ tsugu | to patch (clothes); to mend; to repair |
| 取り繕う | とりつくろう toritsukurou | to mend; to repair; to patch up |
| 縢る | かがる kagaru | to stitch; to hem; to mend |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | ちょくせつ chokusetsu | direct; immediate; personal |
| 正直 | しょうじき shoujiki | honest; frank; candid |
| 直後 | ちょくご chokugo | immediately following |
| 直前 | ちょくぜん chokuzen | just before; just prior to |
| 素直 | すなお sunao | obedient; meek; docile |
| 直ちに | ただちに tadachini | at once; immediately; right away |
See also: Chinese symbol for “mend”.
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.