Japanese symbol for “swear”
誓う
ちかう
Romaji: chikau
to swear; to vow; to take an oath; to pledge
In Japanese, swear is 誓う, read ちかう (chikau).
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
- v5u, vt to swear; to vow; to take an oath; to pledge
Written forms: 誓う、盟う. Readings: ちかう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “swear”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 固める | かためる katameru | to swear; to resolutely vow; to sincerely promise |
| 契る | ちぎる chigiru | to pledge; to vow; to promise |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 誓い | ちかい chikai | oath; vow |
| 宣誓 | せんせい sensei | oath; abjuration; pledge |
| 誓約 | せいやく seiyaku | oath; vow; pledge |
| 誓願 | せいがん seigan | (religious) vow |
| 誓文 | せいもん seimon | written oath |
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.