Japanese symbol for “precede”
進む
すすむ
Romaji: susumu
to advance (spatially); to go forward; to move forward
In Japanese, precede is 進む, read すすむ (susumu).
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
- v5m, vi to advance (spatially); to go forward; to move forward
- v5m, vi to precede; to go ahead (of); to be ahead (e.g. of the times); to advance (to the next stage); to move on (e.g. to the next grade); to enter (e.g. university)
- v5m, vi to make progress; to move ahead (e.g. of work); to continue; to progress; to advance; to get on (with)
- v5m, vi to intensify; to heighten; to grow; to deepen; to worsen (e.g. of an illness); to advance (e.g. of a condition)
- v5m, vi to do of one's own free will; to be willing (to); to become enthusiastic
- v5m, vi to be fast (of a clock); to gain (time); to be ahead
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “precede”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先んじる | さきんじる sakinjiru | to precede; to forestall; to anticipate |
| 先立つ | さきだつ sakidatsu | to precede; to go before; to take precedence |
| 先んずる | さきんずる sakinzuru | to go before; to precede; to forestall |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 推進 | すいしん suishin | propulsion; drive |
| 進行 | しんこう shinkou | moving forward (e.g. of a vehicle); onward movement |
| 進出 | しんしゅつ shinshutsu | advance (into a new market, industry, etc.); expansion (into); launch (into) |
| 進化 | しんか shinka | evolution |
| 促進 | そくしん sokushin | promotion; acceleration; encouragement |
| 進歩 | しんぽ shinpo | progress; advance; improvement |
See also: Chinese symbol for “precede”.
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.