Japanese symbol for “motivation”
意欲
いよく
Romaji: iyoku
will; desire; eagerness; interest
In Japanese, motivation is 意欲, read いよく (iyoku).
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 will; desire; eagerness; interest; drive; motivation
Written forms: 意欲、意慾. Readings: いよく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “motivation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気 | き ki | intention; mind; will |
| 気合 | きあい kiai | (fighting) spirit; motivation; effort |
| やる気 | やるき yaruki | will (to do something); drive; motivation |
| 刺激 | しげき shigeki | impetus; impulse; stimulus |
| モチ | モチ mochi | motivation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意味 | いみ imi | meaning; significance; sense |
| 注意 | ちゅうい chuui | attention; notice; heed |
| 意識 | いしき ishiki | consciousness |
| 意見 | いけん iken | opinion; view; comment |
| 用意 | ようい youi | preparation; arrangements; provision |
| 得意 | とくい tokui | satisfaction; pride; triumph |
| 欲しい | ほしい hoshii | wanting (to have); desiring; wishing for |
| 欲求 | よっきゅう yokkyuu | desire; want; will |
See also: Chinese symbol for “motivation”.
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.