Japanese symbol for “adversity”
逆境
ぎゃっきょう
Romaji: gyakkyou
adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity
In Japanese, adversity is 逆境, read ぎゃっきょう (gyakkyou).
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 adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “adversity”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 失意 | しつい shitsui | disappointment; despair; despondency |
| 悲境 | ひきょう hikyou | adversity; sad circumstances |
| 艱苦 | かんく kanku | hardship; suffering; privation |
| 風波 | ふうは fuuha | hardships (of life); adversity |
| 蹉だ | さだ sada | adversity; misfortune; hardship |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 逆さ | さかさ sakasa | inverted; upside down; reversed |
| 逆転 | ぎゃくてん gyakuten | reversal (of a situation); turnaround; turnabout |
| 反逆 | はんぎゃく hangyaku | treason; treachery; mutiny |
| 逆戻り | ぎゃくもどり gyakumodori | retrogression; reversal; relapse |
| 逆らう | さからう sakarau | to go against; to oppose; to disobey |
| 環境 | かんきょう kankyou | environment; surroundings; circumstances |
| 国境 | こっきょう kokkyou | border (between countries); national border |
| 境界 | きょうかい kyoukai | boundary; border; limit |
See also: Chinese symbol for “adversity”.
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.