Japanese symbol for “unless”
限り
かぎり
Romaji: kagiri
limit; limits; bounds
In Japanese, unless is 限り, read かぎり (kagiri).
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 limit; limits; bounds
- n degree; extent; scope
- n, n-suf the end; the last
- adv, n as long as ...; as far as ...; as much as ...; to the limits of ...; all of ...
- adv, n unless ...
- n (not) included in ...; (not) part of ...
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unless”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| にゃ | にゃ nya | if not ...; unless ... |
| では | では deha | if not ...; unless ... |
| ねば | ねば neba | if not ...; unless ... |
| ない事には | ないことには naikotoniha | unless (you do something) |
| 無くては | なくては nakuteha | without; unless |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 限定 | げんてい gentei | limit; restriction |
| 制限 | せいげん seigen | restriction; restraint; limitation |
| 限界 | げんかい genkai | limit; bound |
| 期限 | きげん kigen | term; period; time frame |
| 権限 | けんげん kengen | power; authority; jurisdiction |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unless”.
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.