Japanese symbol for “source”
源
みなもと
Romaji: minamoto
source (of a river); fountainhead
In Japanese, source is 源, read みなもと (minamoto).
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 source (of a river); fountainhead
- n source; origin; root
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “source”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 元 | もと moto | origin; source; beginning |
| 原因 | げんいん gen'in | cause; origin; source |
| 出典 | しゅってん shutten | source (e.g. quotation); authority |
| 根本 | こんぽん konpon | root; source; origin |
| 由来 | ゆらい yurai | origin; source; history |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 資源 | しげん shigen | resources |
| 電源 | でんげん dengen | source of electricity; electrical power |
| 起源 | きげん kigen | origin; beginning; source |
| 語源 | ごげん gogen | origin of a word; derivation of a word; etymology |
| 財源 | ざいげん zaigen | source of funds; resources; finances |
| 震源 | しんげん shingen | hypocentre (of an earthquake); hypocenter; focus |
See also: Chinese symbol for “source”.
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.