Japanese symbol for “otherwise”
若しくは
もしくは
Romaji: moshikuha
or; otherwise
In Japanese, otherwise is 若しくは, read もしくは (moshikuha).
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
- conj or; otherwise
Written forms: 若しくは、若くは. Readings: もしくは.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “otherwise”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 将 | はた hata | or; otherwise |
| 又 | また mata | or; otherwise |
| でなければ | でなければ denakereba | without; but if; otherwise |
| 然も無いと | さもないと samonaito | otherwise; or else; if not |
| 然もなければ | さもなければ samonakereba | otherwise; or else; if not |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 若者 | わかもの wakamono | young person; youngster; young people |
| 若干 | じゃっかん jakkan | some; few; a number of |
| 若い | わかい wakai | young; youthful |
| 若手 | わかて wakate | young person |
| 若年 | じゃくねん jakunen | youth |
| 若葉 | わかば wakaba | new leaves; young leaves; fresh verdure |
See also: Chinese symbol for “otherwise”.
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.