Japanese symbol for “pious”
敬虔
けいけん
Romaji: keiken
pious; devout
In Japanese, pious is 敬虔, read けいけん (keiken).
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
- adj-na, n pious; devout
Written forms: 敬虔、敬けん、敬謙. Readings: けいけん.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 尊敬 | そんけい sonkei | respect; esteem; reverence |
| 敬意 | けいい keii | respect; honour; honor |
| 敬遠 | けいえん keien | pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth |
| 敬語 | けいご keigo | honorific; term of respect; polite expression |
| 敬老 | けいろう keirou | respect for the aged |
| 敬称 | けいしょう keishou | honorific title; honorific term of address |
| 不敬虔 | ふけいけん fukeiken | impiety; irreverence |
| 敬虔主義 | けいけんしゅぎ keikenshugi | Pietism |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pious”.
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.