Japanese symbol for “root”
根
ね
Romaji: ne
root (of a plant)
In Japanese, root is 根, read ね (ne).
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 root (of a plant)
- n root (of a tooth, hair, etc.); center (of a pimple, etc.)
- n root (of all evil, etc.); source; origin; cause; basis
- n one's true nature
- n (fishing) reef
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “root”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根本 | こんぽん konpon | root; source; origin |
| 元 | もと moto | root (of a plant); (tree) trunk |
| 根っこ | ねっこ nekko | root (of a plant) |
| 根底 | こんてい kontei | root; basis; foundation |
| 根源 | こんげん kongen | root; source; origin |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 屋根 | やね yane | roof |
| 根拠 | こんきょ konkyo | basis; grounds; foundation |
| 根本 | こんぽん konpon | root; source; origin |
| 根性 | こんじょう konjou | willpower; guts; determination |
| 大根 | だいこん daikon | daikon (variety of large white Oriental radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) |
| 島根 | しまね shimane | Shimane (prefecture) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “root”.
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.