Japanese symbol for “obtain”
得る
える
Romaji: eru
to get; to earn; to acquire; to procure
In Japanese, obtain is 得る, read える (eru).
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
- v1, vt to get; to earn; to acquire; to procure; to gain; to secure
- v1, vt to understand; to comprehend
- v1, vt to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
- aux-v, v1, vt to be able to ..., can ...
Written forms: 得る、獲る. Readings: える.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “obtain”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 得 | う u | to get; to acquire; to obtain |
| 取る | とる toru | to get; to obtain; to acquire |
| 勝ち取る | かちとる kachitoru | to win; to achieve; to gain |
| 借りる | かりる kariru | to make use of (another's help, wisdom, etc.); to obtain; to receive |
| 上げる | あげる ageru | to earn (something desirable); to achieve (e.g. a good result); to obtain |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取得 | しゅとく shutoku | obtaining (a qualification, right, object, etc.); acquisition (of land, property, etc.); gaining possession (of) |
| 獲得 | かくとく kakutoku | acquisition; possession |
| 得意 | とくい tokui | satisfaction; pride; triumph |
| 納得 | なっとく nattoku | consent; agreement; acceptance |
| 説得 | せっとく settoku | persuasion |
| 所得 | しょとく shotoku | income; earnings |
See also: Chinese symbol for “obtain”.
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.