Japanese symbol for “awkward”
下手
へた
Romaji: heta
unskillful; poor; awkward
In Japanese, awkward is 下手, read へた (heta).
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
- adj-na, n unskillful; poor; awkward
- adj-na, n imprudent; untactful
Written forms: 下手. Readings: へた、ヘタ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “awkward”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不器用 | ぶきよう bukiyou | clumsy; awkward; unskillful |
| 下手くそ | へたくそ hetakuso | unskilled; clumsy; lousy |
| 苦しい | くるしい kurushii | distressing; (psychologically) difficult; stressful |
| ぎこちない | ぎこちない gikochinai | awkward; clumsy; stiff |
| 怪しい | あやしい ayashii | untrustworthy; unreliable; clumsy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以下 | いか ika | not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under |
| 地下 | ちか chika | underground; below the ground |
| 低下 | ていか teika | fall; decline; lowering |
| 上下 | じょうげ jouge | top and bottom; high and low; above and below |
| 地下鉄 | ちかてつ chikatetsu | subway; metro; underground (railway) |
| 部下 | ぶか buka | subordinate person |
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
See also: Chinese symbol for “awkward”.
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.