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Kanji for Seven
The kanji most commonly used for "Seven" is 七.
七
Kanji that mean Seven
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七
seven
Also associated with many times.
Onyomi: shichi Kunyomi: nana, nana.tsu, nano 2 strokes Jōyō
七 (shichi / nana) is seven — two strokes, and one of the luckiest numbers in Japan, where it arrived with Buddhism’s fondness for sevens and settled in everywhere. The 七福神 are the Seven Lucky Gods sailing their treasure ship; 七夕 (Tanabata) is the Star Festival of the seventh evening; 七五三 (Shichi-Go-San) blesses children at seven, five and three.
Life’s structure keeps the number: a newborn is celebrated on the seventh night (お七夜); mourning is marked at every seventh day to the forty-ninth; and the sushi staple 七味, seven-flavour chili, seasons from a shaker. To fall seven times and rise eight — 七転び八起き — is the proverb of resilience attached to every Daruma doll.
Seven’s readings are famously slippery: shichi sounds like 死 (death) to some ears, so nana is often preferred aloud — a rare number with a stage name.
Words using Seven kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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十七
じゅうなな
seventeen; 17
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七七日
しちしちにち
49th day after death
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二七日
ふたなぬか
second week's memorial services
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七つ
ななつ
seven; seven years of age; four o'clock (old time system)
Before you use Seven kanji
七 is lucky, minimal and safe — the number of gods, festivals and second chances (七転び八起き). If you want the resilience proverb itself, it is a popular phrase tattoo. No negative senses attach to the character; only the reading shichi carries a faint death-pun that Japanese sidesteps by saying nana.