Japanese symbol for “proverb”
諺
ことわざ
Romaji: kotowaza
proverb; saying; aphorism; maxim
In Japanese, proverb is 諺, read ことわざ (kotowaza).
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 proverb; saying; aphorism; maxim
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “proverb”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 格言 | かくげん kakugen | saying; maxim; aphorism |
| 箴言 | しんげん shingen | proverb; maxim; aphorism |
| 俚諺 | りげん rigen | proverb; saying |
| 俗諺 | ぞくげん zokugen | proverb; popular saying |
| 世諺 | せいげん seigen | proverb; saying |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 諺文 | オンモン onmon | hangul (Korean script) |
| 俚諺 | りげん rigen | proverb; saying |
| 俗諺 | ぞくげん zokugen | proverb; popular saying |
| 諺語 | げんご gengo | colloquialism; slang |
| 鄙諺 | ひげん higen | vulgar proverb; popular saying |
See also: Chinese symbol for “proverb”.
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.