Japanese symbol for “turn”
回す
まわす
Romaji: mawasu
to turn; to rotate; to spin; to twist
In Japanese, turn is 回す, read まわす (mawasu).
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
- v5s, vt to turn; to rotate; to spin; to twist; to gyrate
- v5s, vt to pass around; to send around; to hand around; to circulate
- v5s, vt to move (someone or something to where its needed); to send; to bring; to transfer; to forward; to direct
- v5s, vt to turn (to a new use); to use (for something else)
- v5s, vt to turn on (something that turns or has a rotating part, e.g. a washing machine); to start up (e.g. an engine); to give (something) a spin
- v5s, vt to put (someone in a position); to make (e.g. an enemy of)
Written forms: 回す、廻す. Readings: まわす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “turn”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 回る | まわる mawaru | to turn; to rotate; to revolve |
| 回転 | かいてん kaiten | rotation; revolution; turn |
| 順 | じゅん jun | order; turn; sorting |
| 順番 | じゅんばん junban | order; turn |
| 変える | かえる kaeru | to change; to alter; to transform |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今回 | こんかい konkai | this time; now |
| 回復 | かいふく kaifuku | restoration; recovery; rehabilitation |
| 前回 | ぜんかい zenkai | previous time; last time; previous installment |
| 回答 | かいとう kaitou | reply; answer |
| 回収 | かいしゅう kaishuu | collection; recovery; withdrawal |
| 回転 | かいてん kaiten | rotation; revolution; turn |
See also: Chinese symbol for “turn”.
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.