Japanese symbol for “need”
要する
ようする
Romaji: yousuru
to need; to demand; to take; to require
In Japanese, need is 要する, read ようする (yousuru).
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
- vs-s, vt to need; to demand; to take; to require
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “need”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 需要 | じゅよう juyou | demand; need |
| 貧困 | ひんこん hinkon | poverty; penury; need |
| 必要 | ひつよう hitsuyou | necessity; need; requirement |
| 事 | こと koto | necessity; need |
| 要る | いる iru | to be needed; to be necessary; to be required |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 必要 | ひつよう hitsuyou | necessary; needed; essential |
| 重要 | じゅうよう juuyou | important; essential; significant |
| 要求 | ようきゅう youkyuu | demand; firm request; requisition |
| 要素 | ようそ youso | element; component; factor |
| 需要 | じゅよう juyou | demand; need |
| 要請 | ようせい yousei | appeal; call for something; request |
See also: Chinese symbol for “need”.
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.