Japanese symbol for “ruler”
王
おう
Romaji: ou
king; ruler; sovereign; monarch
In Japanese, ruler is 王, read おう (ou).
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, n-suf king; ruler; sovereign; monarch
- n, n-suf tycoon; magnate; champion; master
- n, n-suf king (of the senior player) (shogi)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ruler”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 王者 | おうじゃ ouja | king; monarch; ruler |
| 物差し | ものさし monosashi | ruler; measure; measuring stick |
| 定規 | じょうぎ jougi | (measuring) ruler |
| 元首 | げんしゅ genshu | sovereign; ruler; head of state |
| 君主 | くんしゅ kunshu | monarch; sovereign; ruler |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 王子 | おうじ ouji | prince |
| 女王 | じょおう joou | queen; female monarch; female sovereign |
| 王国 | おうこく oukoku | kingdom; monarchy |
| 王様 | おうさま ousama | king |
| 王者 | おうじゃ ouja | king; monarch; ruler |
| 王女 | おうじょ oujo | princess |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ruler”.
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.