Japanese symbol for “rotation”
回転
かいてん
Romaji: kaiten
rotation; revolution; turn; spin
In Japanese, rotation is 回転, read かいてん (kaiten).
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 rotation; revolution; turn; spin
- n, vi, vs working (e.g. of one's mind); function
- n, vi, vs turnover (of goods, funds, etc.); circulation; flow (of customers)
- n, vi, vs rotation; curl (math)
- n slalom (ski)
Written forms: 回転、廻転. Readings: かいてん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rotation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 交代 | こうたい koutai | change; alternation; rotation |
| 循環 | じゅんかん junkan | circulation; rotation; cycle |
| 回り | まわり mawari | rotation |
| 旋回 | せんかい senkai | revolution; rotation; turning |
| 輪番 | りんばん rinban | rotation (e.g. of a duty); taking turns |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今回 | こんかい konkai | this time; now |
| 回復 | かいふく kaifuku | restoration; recovery; rehabilitation |
| 前回 | ぜんかい zenkai | previous time; last time; previous installment |
| 回答 | かいとう kaitou | reply; answer |
| 回収 | かいしゅう kaishuu | collection; recovery; withdrawal |
| 運転 | うんてん unten | operation (of a machine); running; working |
| 自転車 | じてんしゃ jitensha | bicycle; bike |
| 移転 | いてん iten | moving; relocation; change of address |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rotation”.
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.