Japanese symbol for “unannounced”

卒然

そつぜん

Romaji: sotsuzen

sudden; unexpected; unannounced; abrupt

In Japanese, unannounced is 卒然, read そつぜん (sotsuzen).

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

adj-t, adv-to sudden; unexpected; unannounced; abrupt

Written forms: 卒然、率然. Readings: そつぜん.

Kanji and stroke order

卒

graduate, soldier, private

on: ソツ、シュツ
kun: そっ.する、お.える、お.わる、ついに

8 strokes · JLPT 2

然

sort of thing, so, if so

on: ゼン、ネン
kun: しか、しか.り、しか.し、さ

12 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
卒業	そつぎょう sotsugyou	graduation; completion (of a course)
新卒	しんそつ shinsotsu	new graduate; recent graduate
大卒	だいそつ daisotsu	university graduate; having graduated from university
高卒	こうそつ kousotsu	having graduated from high school (as one's highest completed level of education); high school graduate
何卒	なにとぞ nanitozo	please; kindly; I beg of you
脳卒中	のうそっちゅう nousotchuu	stroke; cerebral haemorrhage; cerebral hemorrhage
自然	しぜん shizen	nature
当然	とうぜん touzen	natural; right; proper

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.