Japanese symbol for “mentor”
恩師
おんし
Romaji: onshi
teacher (to whom one owes a debt of gratitude); mentor; one's former teacher
In Japanese, mentor is 恩師, read おんし (onshi).
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 teacher (to whom one owes a debt of gratitude); mentor; one's former teacher
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mentor”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 師 | し shi | teacher; master; mentor |
| メンター | メンター mentaa | mentor |
| 指導者 | しどうしゃ shidousha | leader; guide; mentor |
| 庇護者 | ひごしゃ higosha | guardian; mentor; protector |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恩恵 | おんけい onkei | grace; favor; favour |
| 恩返し | おんがえし ongaeshi | paying back a favour; repayment (of an obligation, kindness, etc.) |
| 恩人 | おんじん onjin | benefactor; patron; person to whom one owes a great deal |
| 恩赦 | おんしゃ onsha | amnesty; pardon |
| 恩賜 | おんし onshi | Imperial gift |
| 教師 | きょうし kyoushi | teacher; instructor |
| 医師 | いし ishi | doctor; physician |
| 講師 | こうし koushi | speaker; lecturer |
See also: Chinese symbol for “mentor”.
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.