Japanese symbol for “respond”
応じる
おうじる
Romaji: oujiru
to respond; to answer; to reply
In Japanese, respond is 応じる, read おうじる (oujiru).
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, vi to respond; to answer; to reply
- v1, vi to accept (an invitation, offer, etc.); to comply with (a request, etc.); to meet (a demand, etc.); to apply (in response to recruitment)
- v1, vi to suit; to match; to be appropriate to (the circumstances, one's abilities, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “respond”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 応える | こたえる kotaeru | to respond; to answer; to meet (e.g. demands, expectations) |
| 返す | かえす kaesu | to respond (with); to retort; to reply |
| 感じる | かんじる kanjiru | to be moved (by); to be touched (by); to be impressed (by) |
| 受ける | うける ukeru | to answer (to an opponent's move); to respond; to react |
| 応ずる | おうずる ouzuru | to answer; to respond; to meet |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 対応 | たいおう taiou | correspondence (to); equivalence |
| 反応 | はんのう hannou | reaction; response |
| 応援 | おうえん ouen | aid; assistance; help |
| 応募 | おうぼ oubo | application; subscription; entry (competition, raffle, etc.) |
| 一応 | いちおう ichiou | more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; after a fashion |
| 応用 | おうよう ouyou | (practical) application; putting to practical use |
See also: Chinese symbol for “respond”.
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.