One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.

Share this page

Kanji Detail for 志 - "aspiration, will"

志

  • Meaning

    志 means "aspiration, will." Also associated with record, hope.

    1. Aspiration - A goal or ambition; a purpose.

    2. Will - Determination; intention to achieve.

    3. Record - To write down; to document.

  • Words using 志

    • 志向 しこう Listen intention; aim; preference (for)
    • 同志 どうし Listen like-mindedness; (being of the) same mind; shared sentiment
    • 志願 しがん Listen aspiration; volunteering; desire
    • 志望 しぼう Listen wish; desire; ambition
    • 有志 ゆうし Listen interested person; volunteer; supporter
    • 闘志 とうし Listen fighting spirit; (will to) fight
    • 意志 いし Listen will; volition; intention
    • 遺志 いし Listen wishes of a deceased person; dying wish

  • Four-character idioms with 志

    • 初志貫徹 しょしかんてつ Listen carrying out one's original intention
    • 志操堅固 しそうけんご Listen being faithful to one's principles; being of firm purpose and deep commitment; constancy
    • 意志堅固 いしけんご Listen strong determination; strong-willed; having strong will power
    • 意志薄弱 いしはくじゃく Listen weak-willed; lacking a purpose; lacking will power to be patient, purposeful, or resolute
    • 玩物喪志 がんぶつそうし Listen forgetting one's serious objectives by becoming engrossed in trivial pursuits; being distracted by trivial objects and losing sight of one's original goal
    • 薄志弱行 はくしじゃっこう Listen infirm of purpose and lacking in decision

  • Origin of 志

    之, "to go" (later written 士), over 心, the heart: where the heart is going. Aspiration is the heart's direction of travel.

    How to remember it: The heart 心 with a destination — will is a heart already walking.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check: 志

    • Verified meaning: aspiration, will
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read ここ, こころ, こころざし, し)
    • Also carries these associations: record, hope

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 志

    Given names 志(ここ)Listen 志(こころ)Listen 志(しい)Listen 志(のぞみ)Listen 志(のぞむ)Listen 志(ゆき)Listen

    Surnames 志(こころざし)Listen 志(し)Listen 志(しさき)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    intention; plan; resolve; aspire; motive; hopes; shilling

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    purpose, will, determination; annals

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    aspiration; ambition; the will

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    determination, will; mark, sign; to record, to write

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Where the heart is directed. Such as 志在必得, 有志竟成. Also, those with integrity are called 志士, meaning those whose hearts are fixed and do not follow the crowd. | Same as 誌. To record. Accumulating records of events. Such as 郡國志, 鄉土志.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    shi(シ) シ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    kokoroza.su(こころざ-す) こころざ-す

    kokorozashi(こころざし) こころざし

    shiringu(しりんぐ) しりんぐ

  • Strokes

    tip

    7 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    心 忄 (kokoro・shitagokoro・risshimben)

  • Related Keywords

    aspiration will record document resolution writings ambition goal aim desire determination dream drive intention mission motivation objective plan purpose target vision inscribe compose

Sentences including 志

  • I did it against my will.

  • Where there's a will , there's a way.

  • They are in the same camp.

  • Why don't you carry out what you've set out to do?

  • We use words in order to communicate.

  • Did you come here of your own free will?

  • He has a strong will.

  • Where there's a will , there's a way.

  • She took over the will of him.

  • We use words to communicate.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 心 忄 (kokoro・shitagokoro・risshimben)

See all kanji with this radical →

Share This Page

Share this link via

Or copy link