Japanese symbol for “refuse”
断る
ことわる
Romaji: kotowaru
to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down
In Japanese, refuse is 断る, read ことわる (kotowaru).
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
- v5r, vt to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down; to decline
- v5r, vt to inform; to give notice; to ask in advance (and get approval); to get permission
- v5r, vt to ask leave; to excuse oneself (from)
Written forms: 断る、断わる. Readings: ことわる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “refuse”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拒む | こばむ kobamu | to refuse; to reject; to decline |
| 謝る | あやまる ayamaru | to refuse; to decline |
| 塵 | ごみ gomi | rubbish; trash; garbage |
| 退ける | しりぞける shirizokeru | to refuse; to reject; to turn down |
| 廃物 | はいぶつ haibutsu | waste material; waste; useless article |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 判断 | はんだん handan | judgment; judgement; decision |
| 診断 | しんだん shindan | diagnosis; medical examination |
| 決断 | けつだん ketsudan | decision; determination |
| 無断 | むだん mudan | absence of permission; lack of permission |
| 中断 | ちゅうだん chuudan | interruption; suspension; break |
| 断念 | だんねん dannen | abandoning (hope, plans); giving up |
See also: Chinese symbol for “refuse”.
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.