Japanese symbol for “theory”
理論
りろん
Romaji: riron
theory
In Japanese, theory is 理論, read りろん (riron).
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 theory
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “theory”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理屈 | りくつ rikutsu | theory; reason; logic |
| 原理 | げんり genri | principle; theory; fundamental truth |
| 学説 | がくせつ gakusetsu | theory |
| 説 | せつ setsu | theory; doctrine |
| セオリー | セオリー seorii | theory |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理由 | りゆう riyuu | reason; grounds; pretext |
| 理解 | りかい rikai | understanding; comprehension; appreciation |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 管理 | かんり kanri | control; management (e.g. of a business) |
| 料理 | りょうり ryouri | cooking; cookery; cuisine |
| 処理 | しょり shori | processing; dealing with; treatment |
| 議論 | ぎろん giron | argument; discussion; dispute |
| 結論 | けつろん ketsuron | conclusion (of an argument, discussion, study, etc.) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “theory”.
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.