Japanese symbol for “upon”
次第
しだい
Romaji: shidai
depending on
In Japanese, upon is 次第, read しだい (shidai).
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
- suf depending on
- suf as soon as; immediately after; upon
- suf as (e.g. "as one is told", "as one wishes"); whatever (e.g. "whatever is at hand")
- n order; program; programme; precedence
- n circumstances; course of events; state of things
- n reason
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “upon”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| と | と to | when; as; as soon as |
| 上 | うえ ue | after ...; upon ...; on ... |
| アポン | アポン apon | upon (in place names) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 次元 | じげん jigen | dimension |
| 次回 | じかい jikai | next time (occasion) |
| 次第に | しだいに shidaini | gradually; by degrees; little by little |
| 次々 | つぎつぎ tsugitsugi | in succession; one by one |
| 次ぐ | つぐ tsugu | to follow; to come after; to come next (to) |
| 第三者 | だいさんしゃ daisansha | third party; third person; outsider |
| 第一歩 | だいいっぽ daiippo | first step |
| 第一人者 | だいいちにんしゃ daiichininsha | leading person; foremost figure |
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.