Japanese symbol for “unwilling”
嫌
いや
Romaji: iya
disliking; not wanting; unwilling (to do); reluctant
In Japanese, unwilling is 嫌, read いや (iya).
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 disliking; not wanting; unwilling (to do); reluctant
- adj-na unpleasant; disagreeable; nasty; horrible; disgusting; undesirable
- int no!; quit it!; stop!
Written forms: 嫌、厭. Readings: いや、や、イヤ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unwilling”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不本意 | ふほんい fuhon'i | reluctant; unwilling; involuntary |
| 気が向かない | きがむかない kigamukanai | not inclined (to do); reluctant; unwilling |
| 気が進まない | きがすすまない kigasusumanai | reluctant to; not inclined to; disinclined |
| 本意ない | ほいない hoinai | reluctant; unwilling |
| 足が重い | あしがおもい ashigaomoi | reluctant; disinclined; unwilling |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 嫌い | きらい kirai | disliking; hating; detesting |
| 機嫌 | きげん kigen | humour; humor; temper |
| 嫌う | きらう kirau | to hate; to dislike; to loathe |
| 大嫌い | だいきらい daikirai | hating; strongly disliking |
| 嫌悪 | けんお ken'o | disgust; hate; repugnance |
| 好き嫌い | すききらい sukikirai | likes and dislikes; tastes; preferences |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unwilling”.
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.