Japanese symbol for “surprise”
驚き
おどろき
Romaji: odoroki
surprise; astonishment; wonder; amazement
In Japanese, surprise is 驚き, read おどろき (odoroki).
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 surprise; astonishment; wonder; amazement
Written forms: 驚き. Readings: おどろき、オドロキ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “surprise”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 驚かす | おどろかす odorokasu | to surprise; to frighten; to create a stir |
| 意表 | いひょう ihyou | surprise; something unexpected |
| サプライズ | サプライズ sapuraizu | surprise |
| 驚愕 | きょうがく kyougaku | astonishment; amazement; surprise |
| 吃驚 | きっきょう kikkyou | surprise |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 驚異 | きょうい kyoui | wonder; miracle; amazement |
| 驚かす | おどろかす odorokasu | to surprise; to frighten; to create a stir |
| 驚く | おどろく odoroku | to be surprised; to be taken aback; to be amazed |
| 驚嘆 | きょうたん kyoutan | wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration |
| 驚愕 | きょうがく kyougaku | astonishment; amazement; surprise |
See also: Chinese symbol for “surprise”.
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.