Japanese symbol for “breakdown”
故障
こしょう
Romaji: koshou
fault; trouble; breakdown; failure
In Japanese, breakdown is 故障, read こしょう (koshou).
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, vi, vs fault; trouble; breakdown; failure; being out of order
- n, vs, vt damage (to a part of the body); injury; hurt
- n problem; hitch; obstacle; hindrance
- n objection; protest
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “breakdown”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 決裂 | けつれつ ketsuretsu | breakdown (of talks, negotiations, etc.); breaking off; rupture |
| 破綻 | はたん hatan | failure; collapse; breakdown |
| 内訳 | うちわけ uchiwake | itemization (of expenses); the items; breakdown |
| 破裂 | はれつ haretsu | breakdown (of talks, negotiations, etc.); breaking off |
| 衰弱 | すいじゃく suijaku | weakness; debility; breakdown |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 事故 | じこ jiko | accident; incident; trouble |
| 故郷 | ふるさと furusato | hometown; birthplace; native place |
| 故意 | こい koi | intent; intention; bad faith |
| 故に | ゆえに yueni | therefore; consequently |
| 何故 | なにゆえ naniyue | why |
| 障害 | しょうがい shougai | obstacle; impediment; hindrance |
| 支障 | ししょう shishou | obstacle; hindrance; impediment |
| 障壁 | しょうへき shouheki | enclosing wall; boundary fence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “breakdown”.
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.