Japanese symbol for “raise”
起こす
おこす
Romaji: okosu
to raise; to raise up; to set up; to pick up
In Japanese, raise is 起こす, read おこす (okosu).
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 raise; to raise up; to set up; to pick up; to stand (something) up
- v5s, vt to wake; to wake up; to waken; to awaken
- v5s, vt to cause; to bring about; to lead to; to trigger; to give rise to; to create
- v5s, vt to start; to begin; to launch; to establish; to found; to set up
- v5s, vt to plough; to plow; to till
- v5s, vt to feel (an emotion, desire, etc.); to be moved to; to summon up; to muster
Written forms: 起こす、起す. Readings: おこす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “raise”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 高める | たかめる takameru | to raise; to lift; to boost |
| 作る | つくる tsukuru | to raise; to grow; to cultivate |
| 上げる | あげる ageru | to raise; to elevate |
| 訴える | うったえる uttaeru | to raise; to bring to (someone's attention) |
| 掲げる | かかげる kakageru | to put up (a notice, sign, etc.); to hang out (e.g. a banner); to fly (e.g. a flag) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 起訴 | きそ kiso | prosecution; indictment |
| 起こる | おこる okoru | to occur; to happen |
| 起きる | おきる okiru | to get up; to rise; to blaze up (fire) |
| 起源 | きげん kigen | origin; beginning; source |
| 提起 | ていき teiki | raising (a question); posing (a problem); bringing up (an issue) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “raise”.
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.