Japanese symbol for “nerve”
神経
しんけい
Romaji: shinkei
nerve
In Japanese, nerve is 神経, read しんけい (shinkei).
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 nerve (anat)
- n nerves; sensitivity
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “nerve”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勇気 | ゆうき yuuki | courage; bravery; valour |
| 度胸 | どきょう dokyou | courage; bravery; pluck |
| 腹 | はら hara | courage; nerve; willpower |
| 心臓 | しんぞう shinzou | guts; nerve; cheek |
| 度肝 | どぎも dogimo | guts; pluck; nerve |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 精神 | せいしん seishin | mind; spirit; soul |
| 神社 | じんじゃ jinja | Shinto shrine |
| 神様 | かみさま kamisama | God; god; deity |
| 神話 | しんわ shinwa | myth; mythology |
| 阪神 | はんしん hanshin | Osaka-Kobe |
| 経済 | けいざい keizai | economy; economics |
| 経験 | けいけん keiken | experience |
| 経営 | けいえい keiei | management; administration; operation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “nerve”.
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.