Japanese symbol for “regret”
後悔
こうかい
Romaji: koukai
regret; repentance; remorse
In Japanese, regret is 後悔, read こうかい (koukai).
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
- adj-no, n, vi regret; repentance; remorse
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “regret”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悔い | くい kui | regret; repentance |
| 無念 | むねん munen | regret; chagrin; mortification |
| 反省 | はんせい hansei | regret; repentance; remorse |
| 未練 | みれん miren | lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret |
| 悲しむ | かなしむ kanashimu | to be sad; to mourn for; to regret |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 今後 | こんご kongo | from now on; hereafter |
| 午後 | ごご gogo | afternoon; p.m. |
| 後半 | こうはん kouhan | second half; latter half |
| 後ろ | うしろ ushiro | back; behind; rear |
| 直後 | ちょくご chokugo | immediately following |
| 悔しい | くやしい kuyashii | frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined |
| 悔い | くい kui | regret; repentance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “regret”.
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.