Japanese symbol for “philosophy”
哲学
てつがく
Romaji: tetsugaku
philosophy
In Japanese, philosophy is 哲学, read てつがく (tetsugaku).
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 philosophy
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “philosophy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理学 | りがく rigaku | philosophy |
| コンセプト | コンセプト konseputo | intention; aim; design |
| フィロソフィー | フィロソフィー firosofii | philosophy |
| 哲理 | てつり tetsuri | philosophic principles; philosophy |
| 悟道 | ごどう godou | (the path of spiritual) enlightenment; attainment of supreme wisdom; water of life |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 哲人 | てつじん tetsujin | wise man; philosopher; sage |
| 変哲 | へんてつ hentetsu | something unusual; something odd; something out of the ordinary |
| 哲学的 | てつがくてき tetsugakuteki | philosophical |
| 哲理 | てつり tetsuri | philosophic principles; philosophy |
| 聖哲 | せいてつ seitetsu | wise man |
| 学校 | がっこう gakkou | school |
| 大学 | だいがく daigaku | university; college |
| 学生 | がくせい gakusei | student (esp. a university student) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “philosophy”.
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.