Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of hand and phonetic. Searching with hand.
Symbolism
Exploration, search, inquiry. Represents searching.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Expanse of the sea
Component Breakdown
hand + 罙
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
盟神探湯
めいしんたんとう
trial by hot water; putting a person's hand in boiling water to determine their guilt or innocence (with the belief that the innocent would not be scalded)
Proverbs & Idioms
探り入れる
さぐりいれる
To probe
To cautiously investigate someone's intentions
Anime & Manga
探偵はもう、死んでいる。
The Detective Is Already Dead
A well-known work with 探 in its Japanese title.
名探偵コナン
Detective Conan
A well-known work with 探 in its Japanese title.
美少年探偵団
Pretty Boy Detective Club
A well-known work with 探 in its Japanese title.
多重人格探偵サイコ
MPD Psycho
A well-known work with 探 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
“look for”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 探 mean in Japanese?
探 means grope, search, look for.
How do you read 探?
On'yomi: タン (TAN). Kun'yomi: さぐ.る、さが.す (saguru, sagasu).
How many strokes does 探 have?
探 has 11 strokes. Its radical is 手 (hand).
Is 探 a good kanji for a tattoo?
探 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means grope, search, look for. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.