Japanese symbol for “reflection”
反省
はんせい
Romaji: hansei
reflection; reconsideration; introspection; meditation
In Japanese, reflection is 反省, read はんせい (hansei).
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, vs, vt reflection; reconsideration; introspection; meditation; contemplation
- n, vs, vt regret; repentance; remorse; being sorry
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reflection”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 反映 | はんえい han'ei | reflection (of light) |
| 反射 | はんしゃ hansha | reflection; reverberation |
| 映像 | えいぞう eizou | reflection |
| 影 | かげ kage | reflection; image |
| 考え | かんがえ kangae | consideration; judgement; deliberation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 反対 | はんたい hantai | opposition; resistance; antagonism |
| 反応 | はんのう hannou | reaction; response |
| 違反 | いはん ihan | violation; offense; offence |
| 反発 | はんぱつ hanpatsu | opposition; rebellion; revolt |
| 反乱 | はんらん hanran | insurrection; mutiny; rebellion |
| 外務省 | がいむしょう gaimushou | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| 帰省 | きせい kisei | homecoming; returning home |
| 労働省 | ろうどうしょう roudoushou | Ministry of Labour (now Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “reflection”.
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.