Japanese symbol for “urge”
促す
うながす
Romaji: unagasu
to urge; to encourage; to press; to prompt
In Japanese, urge is 促す, read うながす (unagasu).
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
- v5s, vt to urge; to encourage; to press; to prompt; to draw (attention to)
- v5s, vt to stimulate (e.g. growth); to hasten (e.g. development); to quicken; to accelerate; to promote
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “urge”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意欲 | いよく iyoku | will; desire; eagerness |
| 欲求 | よっきゅう yokkyuu | desire; want; will |
| 衝動 | しょうどう shoudou | impulse; urge; impetus |
| 督促 | とくそく tokusoku | urge; demand; importunity |
| 勧める | すすめる susumeru | to recommend (someone to do); to advise; to encourage |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 促進 | そくしん sokushin | promotion; acceleration; encouragement |
| 催促 | さいそく saisoku | pressing; urging; demanding |
| 督促 | とくそく tokusoku | urge; demand; importunity |
| 販促 | はんそく hansoku | sales promotion |
| 促成 | そくせい sokusei | promotion of growth |
See also: Chinese symbol for “urge”.
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.