Japanese symbol for “translation”
翻訳
ほんやく
Romaji: hon'yaku
translation
In Japanese, translation is 翻訳, read ほんやく (hon'yaku).
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, vs, vt translation
- n, vs, vt deciphering; decoding
- n translation (biol)
Written forms: 翻訳、飜訳. Readings: ほんやく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “translation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 換算 | かんさん kansan | conversion (e.g. yen to dollars); change; exchange |
| 訳 | やく yaku | translation; version (e.g. "English version") |
| 訳書 | やくしょ yakusho | translation |
| 訳語 | やくご yakugo | translation equivalent; equivalent word in translation; translation (of a word) |
| 訳文 | やくぶん yakubun | translated sentence; translated passage; translation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 翻弄 | ほんろう honrou | having at one's mercy; trifling with; toying with |
| 翻案 | ほんあん hon'an | adaptation (of a novel, play, etc.) |
| 翻す | ひるがえす hirugaesu | to turn over |
| 翻意 | ほんい hon'i | changing one's mind |
| 翻る | ひるがえる hirugaeru | to flutter (in the wind); to wave; to flap |
| 申し訳 | もうしわけ moushiwake | apology; excuse |
| 言い訳 | いいわけ iiwake | excuse |
| 通訳 | つうやく tsuuyaku | interpretation (i.e. oral translation) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “translation”.
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.