Japanese symbol for “relation”
関係
かんけい
Romaji: kankei
relation; relationship; connection
In Japanese, relation is 関係, read かんけい (kankei).
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, vi, vs relation; relationship; connection
- n, vi, vs participation; involvement; concern
- n, vi, vs influence; effect
- n, vi, vs sexual relations; sexual relationship
- n-suf related to; connected to
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “relation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 関連 | かんれん kanren | relation; connection; relevance |
| 仲 | なか naka | relation; relationship |
| 親族 | しんぞく shinzoku | relative; relation; kin |
| 親戚 | しんせき shinseki | relative; relation; kin |
| 親類 | しんるい shinrui | relative; relation; kin |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 関連 | かんれん kanren | relation; connection; relevance |
| 機関 | きかん kikan | engine |
| 関心 | かんしん kanshin | concern; interest |
| 玄関 | げんかん genkan | entrance; front door; entryway |
| 関西 | かんさい kansai | Kansai (region comprising Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and surrounding prefectures) |
| 係長 | かかりちょう kakarichou | subsection head; assistant manager; chief clerk |
| 係員 | かかりいん kakariin | person in charge; official; attendant |
| 係数 | けいすう keisuu | coefficient |
See also: Chinese symbol for “relation”.
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.