King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “overthrow”

Romaji: datou
overthrow; defeat; bringing down; knockdown

In Japanese, overthrow is , read (datou).

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

  1. n, vs, vt overthrow; defeat; bringing down; knockdown

Kanji and stroke order

strike, hit, knock
on: ダ、ダース
kun: う.つ、う.ち-、ぶ.つ
5 strokes · JLPT 2
overthrow, fall, collapse
on: トウ
kun: たお.れる、-だお.れ、たお.す、さかさま
10 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “overthrow”

WordReadingMeaning
たおす taosuto overthrow; to trip up; to ruin
ほろぼす horobosuto destroy; to overthrow; to wreck
てんぷく tenpukuoverthrow (e.g. of a government)
くつがえす kutsugaesuto overthrow (government etc.)
うちこわす uchikowasuto ruin (e.g. a plan); to wreck; to do away with (an old custom, ideology, etc.)

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
うつ utsuto hit; to strike; to knock
だげき dagekiblow; shock; strike
うちあげ uchiagelaunch (of a rocket, satellite, etc.); lift-off; shooting off (fireworks)
あんだ andasafe hit
だは dahabreaking down; defeating; abolishing
だせん dasenbatting line-up; batting order
めんどう mendoutrouble; bother
とうさん tousan(corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure

See also: Chinese symbol for “overthrow”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Best Escrima Sticks for Kids Under Ten
  2. How Many Kali Sticks Should You Own for Training
  3. Best Stick Striking Gear Tire Stands vs Training Dummies
  4. Best Forearm Guards for Stick Drills and Impact Protection
  5. Best Burned-Pattern Rattan Sticks for Gift Giving
  6. Choosing a Stick-Fighting Helmet for Club Sparring
  7. How to Stop Escrima Sticks Slipping with Sweaty Hands
  8. Choosing Soft Sticks for Kids Games and Safe Play
  9. Best Padded Sticks for Self-Defense Training and Safety
  10. Best Lightweight Escrima Sticks for Speed and Quick Strikes