Japanese symbol for “prehistory”
前史
ぜんし
Romaji: zenshi
prehistory
In Japanese, prehistory is 前史, read ぜんし (zenshi).
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 prehistory
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “prehistory”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先史 | せんし senshi | prehistory |
| 先史学 | せんしがく senshigaku | prehistory |
| 有史以前 | ゆうしいぜん yuushiizen | prehistory |
| 先史時代 | せんしじだい senshijidai | prehistoric era; prehistoric times; prehistory |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 名前 | なまえ namae | name |
| 以前 | いぜん izen | before; prior to; ago |
| お前 | おまえ omae | you |
| 前回 | ぜんかい zenkai | previous time; last time; previous installment |
| 午前 | ごぜん gozen | morning; a.m. |
| 当たり前 | あたりまえ atarimae | natural; reasonable; obvious |
| 歴史 | れきし rekishi | history |
| 史上 | しじょう shijou | in history; ever; historical |
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.