Japanese symbol for “sorrow”
不幸
ふこう
Romaji: fukou
unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; disaster
In Japanese, sorrow is 不幸, read ふこう (fukou).
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
- adj-na, n unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; disaster; accident
- n death (usu. of a relative); bereavement
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sorrow”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲しみ | かなしみ kanashimi | sadness; sorrow; grief |
| 憂い | うれい urei | sorrow; grief; anguish |
| 悲哀 | ひあい hiai | sorrow; grief; sadness |
| 哀れ | あわれ aware | pity; sorrow; grief |
| 哀愁 | あいしゅう aishuu | pathos; sorrow; grief |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure; indistinct |
| 不安 | ふあん fuan | anxiety; uneasiness; worry |
| 不足 | ふそく fusoku | insufficiency; deficiency; shortage |
| 不満 | ふまん fuman | dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure |
| 不可能 | ふかのう fukanou | impossible |
| 不思議 | ふしぎ fushigi | wonderful; marvelous; strange |
| 幸せ | しあわせ shiawase | happiness; good fortune; luck |
| 幸福 | こうふく koufuku | happiness; well-being; joy |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sorrow”.
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.