Kanji for “passion”

Passion as drive, as heat of feeling, or as raw emotion.

情熱 jōnetsu

Closest natural translation · misunderstanding risk Low

Reading: jōnetsu — Common compound reading
About the reading: The ordinary word for burning enthusiasm.
Literal meaning: Passion, ardour
What it suggests: Intense drive for work, art or a person. Positive and energetic.
When to use it: For passion in the everyday sense of drive.
On its own: Natural as a complete noun.
In compounds: Natural in 情熱的 (passionate).
As a tattoo: Clear and warm; the safest choice for this meaning.

熱情 netsujō

Related meaning, not a literal translation · misunderstanding risk Low

Reading: netsujō — Common compound reading
About the reading: The same two characters reversed; a real word with a different colour.
Literal meaning: Fervour, ardent feeling
What it suggests: Hotter and more emotional than 情熱, leaning toward romantic or artistic fervour.
When to use it: For passion as heat of feeling rather than drive.
On its own: Natural, though less common than 情熱.
In compounds: Natural as the complete word 熱情.
As a tattoo: Slightly literary; a Japanese reader notices it is the rarer of the pair.

情 jō / nasake

Symbolic choice, not a literal translation · misunderstanding risk High

Reading: jō / nasake — On-yomi; context-dependent
About the reading: Real but broad — its meaning shifts completely with context.
Literal meaning: Feeling, emotion, compassion
What it suggests: Emotion in general, and also pity, sympathy, and even sexual feeling depending on the compound.
When to use it: Only if a deliberately broad, ambiguous character is what you want.
On its own: Limited alone; its sense depends on what surrounds it.
In compounds: Natural in 情熱, 感情 (emotion), 情事 (a love affair).
As a tattoo: Elegant but vague. Japanese readers will not settle on one meaning.
Worth knowing: Alone it can read as pity, as raw emotion, or — through compounds like 情事 — as sexual affairs.

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