Japanese symbol for “originally”
本来
ほんらい
Romaji: honrai
originally; primarily
In Japanese, originally is 本来, read ほんらい (honrai).
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
- adj-no, adv, n originally; primarily
- adj-no, adv, n essentially; intrinsically; naturally; by nature; in (and of) itself
- adj-no, n proper; rightful; legal; normal
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “originally”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 元々 | もともと motomoto | originally; from the start; from the beginning |
| 元来 | がんらい ganrai | originally; essentially; naturally |
| 由来 | ゆらい yurai | originally; from the start; by nature |
| 抑 | そもそも somosomo | in the first place; to begin with; from the start |
| 自体 | じたい jitai | originally; naturally; by nature |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本 | にほん nihon | Japan |
| 基本 | きほん kihon | basics; fundamentals; basis |
| 本当 | ほんとう hontou | truth; reality; actuality |
| 本人 | ほんにん honnin | the person in question; the person themselves; said person |
| 本気 | ほんき honki | seriousness; earnestness; truth |
| 未来 | みらい mirai | (distant) future |
| 出来る | できる dekiru | to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do) |
| 以来 | いらい irai | since; henceforth |
See also: Chinese symbol for “originally”.
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.