Japanese symbol for “patience”
我慢
がまん
Romaji: gaman
endurance; patience; perseverance; bearing (with something)
In Japanese, patience is 我慢, read がまん (gaman).
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, vi, vs endurance; patience; perseverance; bearing (with something)
- n, vi, vs self-control; self-restraint
Written forms: 我慢. Readings: がまん、ガマン.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “patience”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根気 | こんき konki | patience; perseverance; persistence |
| 辛抱 | しんぼう shinbou | patience; endurance; perseverance |
| 忍耐 | にんたい nintai | endurance; perseverance; patience |
| 忍 | にん nin | endurance; forbearance; patience |
| 堪忍 | かんにん kannin | patience; forbearance; endurance |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 我々 | われわれ wareware | we |
| 我が | わが waga | my; our; one's own |
| 我が家 | わがや wagaya | one's house; one's home; one's family |
| 自我 | じが jiga | ego |
| 我ら | われら warera | we; us |
| 自慢 | じまん jiman | pride (in one's achievements, possessions, etc.); self-praise; boast |
| 慢性 | まんせい mansei | chronic (illness) |
| 傲慢 | ごうまん gouman | haughty; arrogant; insolent |
See also: Chinese symbol for “patience”.
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.