Japanese symbol for “thinking”
考え
かんがえ
Romaji: kangae
thinking; thought; view; opinion
In Japanese, thinking is 考え, read かんがえ (kangae).
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 thinking; thought; view; opinion; concept
- n idea; notion; imagination
- n intention; plan; design
- n consideration; judgement; deliberation; reflection
- n wish; hope; expectation
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “thinking”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 思考 | しこう shikou | thought; consideration; thinking |
| 思索 | しさく shisaku | speculation; thinking; meditation |
| 観測 | かんそく kansoku | opinion; prediction; thinking |
| 思惟 | しい shii | thought; thinking; contemplation |
| シンキング | シンキング shinkingu | thinking |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 参考 | さんこう sankou | reference; consultation |
| 考える | かんがえる kangaeru | to think (about, of); to think over; to ponder |
| 思考 | しこう shikou | thought; consideration; thinking |
| 考慮 | こうりょ kouryo | consideration; taking into account |
| 考え方 | かんがえかた kangaekata | way of thinking; point of view; opinion |
See also: Chinese symbol for “thinking”.
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.