Japanese symbol for “recognize”
認める
みとめる
Romaji: mitomeru
to recognize; to recognise; to observe; to notice
In Japanese, recognize is 認める, read みとめる (mitomeru).
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
- v1, vt to recognize; to recognise; to observe; to notice
- v1, vt to deem; to judge; to assess
- v1, vt to approve; to deem acceptable; to allow
- v1, vt to admit; to accept; to confess (to a charge)
- v1, vt to watch steadily; to observe carefully
- v1, vt to renown; to give renown to; to appreciate; to acknowledge
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “recognize”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見分ける | みわける miwakeru | to distinguish; to recognize; to recognise |
| 買う | かう kau | to value (highly); to think highly of; to have a high opinion of |
| 聞き分ける | ききわける kikiwakeru | to recognize (by sound); to identify; to differentiate (voices, sounds, etc.) |
| 目する | もくする mokusuru | to regard (as); to recognize (as); to see as |
| 見覚えがある | みおぼえがある mioboegaaru | to recognize; to recall; to recollect |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 確認 | かくにん kakunin | confirmation; verification; validation |
| 認識 | にんしき ninshiki | recognition; awareness; perception |
| 承認 | しょうにん shounin | recognition; acknowledgement; acknowledgment |
| 認め | みとめ mitome | approval; acceptance; recognition |
| 公認 | こうにん kounin | official recognition; official approval; certification |
| 認可 | にんか ninka | approval; license; licence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “recognize”.
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.