Japanese symbol for “reject”
断る
ことわる
Romaji: kotowaru
to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down
In Japanese, reject 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 “reject”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拒む | こばむ kobamu | to refuse; to reject; to decline |
| 流す | ながす nagasu | to cancel (a plan, meeting, etc.); to call off; to reject (e.g. a bill) |
| 落とす | おとす otosu | to lose (a match); to reject (an applicant); to fail (a course) |
| 跳ね返す | はねかえす hanekaesu | to reject; to repulse; to repel |
| 突っぱねる | つっぱねる tsuppaneru | to reject; to spurn; to turn down |
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 “reject”.
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.