Japanese symbol for “unthinkable”
心外
しんがい
Romaji: shingai
regrettable; vexing; upsetting
In Japanese, unthinkable is 心外, read しんがい (shingai).
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-na, n regrettable; vexing; upsetting
- adj-na, n unthinkable; wholly unexpected
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unthinkable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| とんでも無い | とんでもない tondemonai | unthinkable; unexpected; absurd |
| 考えられない | かんがえられない kangaerarenai | unthinkable; unimaginable |
| 図がない | ずがない zuganai | unthinkable; extraordinary; preposterous |
| あらぬ事 | あらぬこと aranukoto | the unthinkable |
| トンデモ | トンデモ tondemo | unthinkable; unexpected; outrageous |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 心配 | しんぱい shinpai | worry; concern; anxiety |
| 安心 | あんしん anshin | peace of mind; relief; (sense of) security |
| 関心 | かんしん kanshin | concern; interest |
| 心理 | しんり shinri | state of mind; mentality; psychology |
| 心臓 | しんぞう shinzou | heart |
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unthinkable”.
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.