Japanese symbol for “sovereign”
元首
げんしゅ
Romaji: genshu
sovereign; ruler; head of state
In Japanese, sovereign is 元首, read げんしゅ (genshu).
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 sovereign; ruler; head of state
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sovereign”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 王 | おう ou | king; ruler; sovereign |
| 帝王 | ていおう teiou | sovereign; emperor; monarch |
| 国王 | こくおう kokuou | king; queen; monarch |
| 君主 | くんしゅ kunshu | monarch; sovereign; ruler |
| 上 | うえ ue | emperor; sovereign; shogun |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 元気 | げんき genki | lively; full of spirit; energetic |
| 地元 | じもと jimoto | home area; home town |
| 次元 | じげん jigen | dimension |
| 足元 | あしもと ashimoto | at one's feet; underfoot; one's step (as in "watch your step") |
| 還元 | かんげん kangen | restoration; return |
| 手元 | てもと temoto | at hand; on hand; nearby |
| 首相 | しゅしょう shushou | prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier |
| 首都 | しゅと shuto | (national) capital (city); metropolis |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sovereign”.
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.