Japanese symbol for “reluctantly”
やむを得ず
やむをえず
Romaji: yamuoezu
unavoidably; inevitably; necessarily; reluctantly
In Japanese, reluctantly is やむを得ず, read やむをえず (yamuoezu).
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
- adv, exp unavoidably; inevitably; necessarily; reluctantly; against one's will
Written forms: やむを得ず、止むを得ず、已むを得ず. Readings: やむをえず.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reluctantly”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不承不承 | ふしょうぶしょう fushoubushou | reluctantly; grudgingly; unwillingly |
| 渋々 | しぶしぶ shibushibu | reluctantly; unwillingly |
| 泣く泣く | なくなく nakunaku | reluctantly; unwillingly; with a heavy heart |
| 心ならずも | こころならずも kokoronarazumo | unwillingly; reluctantly; against one's will |
| 否々乍ら | いやいやながら iyaiyanagara | reluctantly |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取得 | しゅとく shutoku | obtaining (a qualification, right, object, etc.); acquisition (of land, property, etc.); gaining possession (of) |
| 獲得 | かくとく kakutoku | acquisition; possession |
| 得意 | とくい tokui | satisfaction; pride; triumph |
| 納得 | なっとく nattoku | consent; agreement; acceptance |
| 説得 | せっとく settoku | persuasion |
| 所得 | しょとく shotoku | income; earnings |
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.