Japanese symbol for “principle”
原則
げんそく
Romaji: gensoku
principle; general rule
In Japanese, principle is 原則, read げんそく (gensoku).
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 principle; general rule
- adv, n as a rule; in principle; in general
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “principle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 原理 | げんり genri | principle; theory; fundamental truth |
| 主義 | しゅぎ shugi | doctrine; rule; principle |
| 方針 | ほうしん houshin | policy; course; plan (of action) |
| 旨 | むね mune | principle; aim; main purpose |
| 理 | り ri | reason; principle; logic |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 原因 | げんいん gen'in | cause; origin; source |
| 原作 | げんさく gensaku | original work |
| 原子力 | げんしりょく genshiryoku | atomic energy; nuclear power |
| 原理 | げんり genri | principle; theory; fundamental truth |
| 原稿 | げんこう genkou | manuscript; copy; draft |
| 規則 | きそく kisoku | rule; regulation |
| 法則 | ほうそく housoku | law; rule |
| 反則 | はんそく hansoku | foul; breaking the rules |
See also: Chinese symbol for “principle”.
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.