Japanese symbol for “repent”
悔い改める
くいあらためる
Romaji: kuiaratameru
to repent; to be penitent
In Japanese, repent is 悔い改める, read くいあらためる (kuiaratameru).
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
- v1, vt to repent; to be penitent
Written forms: 悔い改める、悔改める. Readings: くいあらためる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “repent”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悔やむ | くやむ kuyamu | to be sorry; to regret; to repent |
| 残念に思う | ざんねんにおもう zannenniomou | to repent; to regret; to be sorry |
| 禊ぐ | みそぐ misogu | to ablute; to cleanse (spiritually); to repent |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 後悔 | こうかい koukai | regret; repentance; remorse |
| 悔しい | くやしい kuyashii | frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined |
| 悔い | くい kui | regret; repentance |
| 悔やむ | くやむ kuyamu | to mourn; to lament |
| 懺悔 | ざんげ zange | repentance; confession; penitence |
| 悔し泣き | くやしなき kuyashinaki | crying from vexation; tears of regret |
| 改善 | かいぜん kaizen | betterment; improvement |
| 改正 | かいせい kaisei | revision; amendment; alteration |
See also: Chinese symbol for “repent”.
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.