Japanese symbol for “mind”
精神
せいしん
Romaji: seishin
mind; spirit; soul; heart
In Japanese, mind is 精神, read せいしん (seishin).
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 mind; spirit; soul; heart; ethos
- n attitude; mentality; will; intention
- n spirit (of a matter); essence; fundamental significance
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mind”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気 | き ki | spirit; mind; heart |
| 念頭 | ねんとう nentou | (on one's) mind; heed |
| 魂 | たましい tamashii | soul; spirit; mind |
| 心 | こころ kokoro | mind; heart; spirit |
| 意向 | いこう ikou | intention; inclination; mind |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 精密 | せいみつ seimitsu | precise; exact; detailed |
| 精通 | せいつう seitsuu | being well versed (in); being well acquainted (with); being familiar (with) |
| 精子 | せいし seishi | sperm; spermatozoon |
| 精度 | せいど seido | precision; accuracy |
| 精液 | せいえき seieki | semen; seminal fluid; sperm |
| 神経 | しんけい shinkei | nerve |
| 神社 | じんじゃ jinja | Shinto shrine |
| 神様 | かみさま kamisama | God; god; deity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “mind”.
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.