Japanese symbol for “adversary”
敵
てき
Romaji: teki
opponent; rival; adversary
In Japanese, adversary is 敵, read てき (teki).
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
- n opponent; rival; adversary
- n menace; danger; threat; enemy
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “adversary”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 敵対勢力 | てきたいせいりょく tekitaiseiryoku | adversary; opposition; hostile forces |
| 反対者 | はんたいしゃ hantaisha | foe; opponent; adversary |
| 対戦相手 | たいせんあいて taisen'aite | opponent; adversary; the competition |
| 対立者 | たいりつしゃ tairitsusha | opponent; rival; adversary |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 素敵 | すてき suteki | lovely; wonderful; charming |
| 敵対 | てきたい tekitai | hostility; antagonism; opposition |
| 匹敵 | ひってき hitteki | to be a match for; to rival; to equal |
| 無敵 | むてき muteki | invincible; unrivaled; unrivalled |
| 宿敵 | しゅくてき shukuteki | old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy |
| 強敵 | きょうてき kyouteki | formidable enemy; strong enemy; tough enemy |
See also: Chinese symbol for “adversary”.
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.