Japanese symbol for “misunderstanding”
誤解
ごかい
Romaji: gokai
misunderstanding
In Japanese, misunderstanding is 誤解, read ごかい (gokai).
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, vi, vs misunderstanding
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “misunderstanding”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勘違い | かんちがい kanchigai | misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess |
| 思い違い | おもいちがい omoichigai | misunderstanding; misapprehension; misconception |
| 錯覚 | さっかく sakkaku | misapprehension; misconception; misunderstanding |
| 行き違い | いきちがい ikichigai | difference of opinion; misunderstanding; estrangement |
| 考え違い | かんがえちがい kangaechigai | mistaken idea; misunderstanding; wrong impression |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 誤り | あやまり ayamari | error; mistake; slip |
| 誤差 | ごさ gosa | measurement error; calculation error |
| 試行錯誤 | しこうさくご shikousakugo | trial and error |
| 誤字 | ごじ goji | misprint; misspelling; typo |
| 誤報 | ごほう gohou | false report; incorrect report; misinformation |
| 理解 | りかい rikai | understanding; comprehension; appreciation |
| 解決 | かいけつ kaiketsu | settlement; solution; resolution |
| 解説 | かいせつ kaisetsu | explanation; commentary; exposition |
See also: Chinese symbol for “misunderstanding”.
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.