Japanese symbol for “provoke”
引き起こす
ひきおこす
Romaji: hikiokosu
to cause; to induce; to bring about; to provoke
In Japanese, provoke is 引き起こす, read ひきおこす (hikiokosu).
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
- v5s, vt to cause; to induce; to bring about; to provoke
- v5s, vt to pull upright; to help up (e.g. a fallen person)
Written forms: 引き起こす、引きおこす、ひき起こす、引き起す. Readings: ひきおこす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “provoke”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 売る | うる uru | to pick (a fight, quarrel, etc.); to provoke; to force on someone |
| 誘う | さそう sasou | to induce (tears, laughter, sleepiness, etc.); to arouse (e.g. sympathy); to provoke |
| 怒らす | おこらす okorasu | to make (someone) angry; to anger; to offend |
| 怒らせる | おこらせる okoraseru | to make (someone) angry; to anger; to offend |
| 癪に障る | しゃくにさわる shakunisawaru | to annoy; to irritate; to cause offence |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取引 | とりひき torihiki | transactions; dealings; business |
| 引退 | いんたい intai | retirement |
| 割引 | わりびき waribiki | discount; reduction; rebate |
| 引き続き | ひきつづき hikitsuzuki | continuously; continually; without a break |
| 引用 | いんよう in'you | quotation; citation; reference |
| 引っ越し | ひっこし hikkoshi | moving (dwelling, office, etc.); changing residence |
| 起訴 | きそ kiso | prosecution; indictment |
| 起こる | おこる okoru | to occur; to happen |
See also: Chinese symbol for “provoke”.
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.