Japanese symbol for “occasion”
際
さい
Romaji: sai
occasion; time; circumstances; (in) case (of)
In Japanese, occasion is 際, read さい (sai).
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 occasion; time; circumstances; (in) case (of); when
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “occasion”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 節 | せつ setsu | occasion; time |
| 場合 | ばあい baai | case; occasion; situation |
| 機会 | きかい kikai | chance; opportunity; occasion |
| 時 | とき toki | occasion; case |
| 時点 | じてん jiten | point in time; occasion |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 実際 | じっさい jissai | reality; actuality; truth |
| 国際 | こくさい kokusai | international |
| 交際 | こうさい kousai | company; friendship; association |
| 間際 | まぎわ magiwa | the point just before ...; the point of (doing); the verge (of) |
| 手際 | てぎわ tegiwa | skill; ability; dexterity |
| 際立つ | きわだつ kiwadatsu | to be prominent; to be conspicuous; to stand out |
See also: Chinese symbol for “occasion”.
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.