Japanese symbol for “premeditation”

予謀

よぼう

Romaji: yobou

premeditation; aforethought

In Japanese, premeditation is 予謀, read よぼう (yobou).

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-no, n premeditation; aforethought

Kanji and stroke order

予

beforehand, previous, myself

on: ヨ、シャ
kun: あらかじ.め

4 strokes · JLPT 2

謀

conspire, cheat, impose on

on: ボウ、ム
kun: はか.る、たばか.る、はかりごと

16 strokes · JLPT 1

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
予定	よてい yotei	plans; arrangement; schedule
予想	よそう yosou	expectation; anticipation; prediction
予約	よやく yoyaku	reservation; appointment; booking
予算	よさん yosan	estimate (of costs); budget
予選	よせん yosen	preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial
予備	よび yobi	reserve; spare
無謀	むぼう mubou	reckless; thoughtless; rash
陰謀	いんぼう inbou	plot; intrigue; scheme

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.