Japanese symbol for “surrender”
降伏
こうふく
Romaji: koufuku
surrender; capitulation; submission
In Japanese, surrender is 降伏, read こうふく (koufuku).
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, vi, vs surrender; capitulation; submission
- n yield (engr)
Written forms: 降伏、降服. Readings: こうふく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “surrender”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 放棄 | ほうき houki | abandonment; renouncement; renunciation |
| 自首 | じしゅ jishu | surrender (to the authorities); giving oneself up; turning oneself in |
| 投降 | とうこう toukou | surrender |
| 降参 | こうさん kousan | surrender; submission; capitulation |
| 下る | くだる kudaru | to surrender; to capitulate |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以降 | いこう ikou | on and after; from ... onward; since |
| 降りる | おりる oriru | to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down |
| 降る | ふる furu | to fall (of rain, snow, ash, etc.); to come down |
| 下降 | かこう kakou | descent; fall; drop |
| 降下 | こうか kouka | descent; fall; drop |
| 潜伏 | せんぷく senpuku | concealment; hiding; ambush |
| 伏線 | ふくせん fukusen | foreshadowing |
| 待ち伏せ | まちぶせ machibuse | ambush; lying in wait for an ambush |
See also: Chinese symbol for “surrender”.
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.