Japanese symbol for “swordsman”
剣士
けんし
Romaji: kenshi
swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
In Japanese, swordsman is 剣士, read けんし (kenshi).
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 swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “swordsman”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 剣術者 | けんじゅつしゃ kenjutsusha | fencer; swordsman |
| 剣術使い | けんじゅつつかい kenjutsutsukai | fencer; swordsman |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真剣 | しんけん shinken | serious; earnest |
| 剣道 | けんどう kendou | kendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swords |
| 刀剣 | とうけん touken | sword; dagger; knife |
| 銃剣 | じゅうけん juuken | bayonet |
| 剣豪 | けんごう kengou | great swordsman; master fencer |
| 弁護士 | べんごし bengoshi | lawyer; attorney |
| 同士 | どうし doushi | fellow; mutual; companion |
| 博士 | はかせ hakase | expert; learned person |
See also: Chinese symbol for “swordsman”.
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.