Japanese symbol for “since”
以来
いらい
Romaji: irai
since; henceforth
In Japanese, since is 以来, read いらい (irai).
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-suf since; henceforth
- adv, n ever since
Written forms: 以来、已来. Readings: いらい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “since”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以降 | いこう ikou | on and after; from ... onward; since |
| 来 | らい rai | since (e.g. last month); for (e.g. 20 years) |
| 以上 | いじょう ijou | since ...; seeing that ...; now that ... |
| から | から kara | from; since; at |
| ので | ので node | because; as; since |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以上 | いじょう ijou | not less than ...; ... and over; ... and above |
| 以前 | いぜん izen | before; prior to; ago |
| 以下 | いか ika | not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under |
| 以内 | いない inai | within; inside of; less than |
| 以降 | いこう ikou | on and after; from ... onward; since |
| 未来 | みらい mirai | (distant) future |
| 出来る | できる dekiru | to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do) |
| 将来 | しょうらい shourai | future; (future) prospects |
See also: Chinese symbol for “since”.
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.