Japanese symbol for “aside”
脇
わき
Romaji: waki
armpit; under one's arm; side; flank
In Japanese, aside is 脇, read わき (waki).
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 armpit; under one's arm; side; flank
- n beside; close to; near; by
- n aside; to the side; away; out of the way
- n off-track; off-topic
- n deuteragonist; supporting role
- n second verse (in a linked series of poems)
Written forms: 脇、腋、掖. Readings: わき.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “aside”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 横 | よこ yoko | beside; aside; next to |
| 挿話 | そうわ souwa | episode; side story; story within a story |
| 傍白 | ぼうはく bouhaku | (theatrical) aside |
| アサイド | アサイド asaido | aside |
| 知らず | しらず shirazu | aside; I don't know about ... |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 脇役 | わきやく wakiyaku | supporting role (actor); minor role |
| 関脇 | せきわけ sekiwake | wrestler of the third highest rank |
| 脇腹 | わきばら wakibara | side (of the torso); flank |
| 脇の下 | わきのした wakinoshita | armpit; axilla |
| 脇見 | わきみ wakimi | looking aside; looking away (e.g. while driving); looking the other way |
| 脇道 | わきみち wakimichi | side road; byroad |
See also: Chinese symbol for “aside”.
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.