Japanese symbol for “prequel”
前編
ぜんぺん
Romaji: zenpen
first part (of a book, film, etc.); first volume
In Japanese, prequel is 前編, read ぜんぺん (zenpen).
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 first part (of a book, film, etc.); first volume
- n prequel
Written forms: 前編、前篇. Readings: ぜんぺん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “prequel”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 前日譚 | ぜんじつたん zenjitsutan | prequel |
| 前日談 | ぜんじつだん zenjitsudan | prequel; retrospective talk; (a) retrospective |
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 |
| 編集 | へんしゅう henshuu | editing; compilation |
| 編成 | へんせい hensei | composition; formation; organization |
See also: Chinese symbol for “prequel”.
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.