Japanese symbol for “rationalize”
理屈をつける
りくつをつける
Romaji: rikutsuotsukeru
to find an excuse; to rationalize; to find a pretext
In Japanese, rationalize is 理屈をつける, read りくつをつける (rikutsuotsukeru).
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
- exp, v1 to find an excuse; to rationalize; to find a pretext
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理由 | りゆう riyuu | reason; grounds; pretext |
| 理解 | りかい rikai | understanding; comprehension; appreciation |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 管理 | かんり kanri | control; management (e.g. of a business) |
| 料理 | りょうり ryouri | cooking; cookery; cuisine |
| 処理 | しょり shori | processing; dealing with; treatment |
| 理屈 | りくつ rikutsu | theory; reason; logic |
| 窮屈 | きゅうくつ kyuukutsu | narrow; tight; cramped |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rationalize”.
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.