Japanese symbol for “outsider”
他人
たにん
Romaji: tanin
another person; other people; others
In Japanese, outsider is 他人, read たにん (tanin).
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 another person; other people; others
- n unrelated person (i.e. not related by blood)
- n outsider; stranger
Written forms: 他人. Readings: たにん、ひと、あだびと.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “outsider”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 第三者 | だいさんしゃ daisansha | third party; third person; outsider |
| 門外漢 | もんがいかん mongaikan | outsider; layman; amateur |
| 外人 | がいじん gaijin | outsider |
| 外様 | とざま tozama | outsider; one not included in the favored group |
| 潜り | もぐり moguri | outsider; stranger |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| その他 | そのほか sonohoka | the rest; the others |
| 他方 | たほう tahou | one (esp. of two); the other; one way |
| 他社 | たしゃ tasha | another company; other company |
| 他国 | たこく takoku | foreign country; another country |
| 他殺 | たさつ tasatsu | murder |
| 人間 | にんげん ningen | human being; human; person |
| 個人 | こじん kojin | individual; private person; personal |
| 人気 | にんき ninki | popularity; public favor |
See also: Chinese symbol for “outsider”.
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.