Japanese symbol for “surprising”
意外
いがい
Romaji: igai
unexpected; surprising; unanticipated; strange
In Japanese, surprising is 意外, read いがい (igai).
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, adv-to, n unexpected; surprising; unanticipated; strange; unforeseen
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “surprising”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恐ろしい | おそろしい osoroshii | surprising; startling; tremendous |
| 案外 | あんがい angai | unexpected; unanticipated; unforeseen |
| 驚くべき | おどろくべき odorokubeki | astonishing; amazing; surprising |
| あいた口が塞がらぬ | あいたくちがふさがらぬ aitakuchigafusagaranu | surprising; shocking; jaw-dropping |
| あいた口も塞がらぬ | あいたくちもふさがらぬ aitakuchimofusagaranu | surprising; shocking; jaw-dropping |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意味 | いみ imi | meaning; significance; sense |
| 注意 | ちゅうい chuui | attention; notice; heed |
| 意識 | いしき ishiki | consciousness |
| 意見 | いけん iken | opinion; view; comment |
| 用意 | ようい youi | preparation; arrangements; provision |
| 得意 | とくい tokui | satisfaction; pride; triumph |
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
See also: Chinese symbol for “surprising”.
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.