Japanese symbol for “bookish”
硬い
かたい
Romaji: katai
hard; solid; tough
In Japanese, bookish is 硬い, read かたい (katai).
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-i hard; solid; tough
- adj-i stiff; tight; wooden; unpolished (e.g. writing)
- adj-i strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved)
- adj-i safe; steady; honest; steadfast
- adj-i certain; assured; highly likely
- adj-i obstinate; stubborn
Written forms: 硬い、固い、堅い、緊い. Readings: かたい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bookish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ブッキッシュ | ブッキッシュ bukkisshu | bookish |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 硬貨 | こうか kouka | coin |
| 強硬 | きょうこう kyoukou | firm; strong; unbending |
| 硬化 | こうか kouka | hardening; vulcanization; vulcanisation |
| 硬派 | こうは kouha | hard-liners; diehards; hawks |
| 硬直 | こうちょく kouchoku | stiffening; rigidity; rigor |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bookish”.
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.