Japanese symbol for “barely”
危うく
あやうく
Romaji: ayauku
barely; narrowly
In Japanese, barely is 危うく, read あやうく (ayauku).
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
- adv barely; narrowly
- adv almost; nearly
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “barely”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 辛うじて | かろうじて karoujite | barely; narrowly; only just |
| どうにか | どうにか dounika | in some way or other; one way or another; somehow |
| 辛くも | からくも karakumo | barely; narrowly; with difficulty |
| 仄 | ほの hono | faintly; dimly; slightly |
| 漸く | ようやく youyaku | barely; narrowly; hardly |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 危険 | きけん kiken | danger; peril; hazard |
| 危機 | きき kiki | crisis; critical situation; emergency |
| 危惧 | きぐ kigu | apprehension; misgivings; uneasiness |
| 危ない | あぶない abunai | dangerous; risky; hazardous |
| 危うい | あやうい ayaui | dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger |
See also: Chinese symbol for “barely”.
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.
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