Japanese symbol for “progress”
進歩
しんぽ
Romaji: shinpo
progress; advance; improvement; development
In Japanese, progress is 進歩, read しんぽ (shinpo).
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, vi, vs progress; advance; improvement; development
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “progress”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 進展 | しんてん shinten | progress; development |
| 向上 | こうじょう koujou | elevation; rise; improvement |
| 運び | はこび hakobi | progress; pace; carriage |
| 進み | すすみ susumi | progress |
| 前進 | ぜんしん zenshin | advance; moving forward; progress |
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 |
| 徒歩 | とほ toho | walking; going on foot |
| 散歩 | さんぽ sanpo | walk; stroll |
| 歩道 | ほどう hodou | footpath; walkway; sidewalk |
See also: Chinese symbol for “progress”.
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.