Japanese symbol for “reason”
理由
りゆう
Romaji: riyuu
reason; grounds; pretext; excuse
In Japanese, reason is 理由, read りゆう (riyuu).
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 reason; grounds; pretext; excuse; motive
Written forms: 理由. Readings: りゆう、わけ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reason”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 訳 | わけ wake | reason; cause; grounds |
| 由 | よし yoshi | reason; significance; cause |
| 理 | り ri | reason; principle; logic |
| 理性 | りせい risei | reason; reasoning power; (one's) sense |
| 根拠 | こんきょ konkyo | basis; grounds; foundation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 自由 | じゆう jiyuu | freedom; liberty |
| 経由 | けいゆ keiyu | going through; going via; going by way of |
| 由来 | ゆらい yurai | origin; source; history |
See also: Chinese symbol for “reason”.
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.
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