Japanese symbol for “chic”
粋
いき
Romaji: iki
chic; smart; stylish; tasteful
In Japanese, chic is 粋, read いき (iki).
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 chic; smart; stylish; tasteful; refined; sophisticated
- adj-na, n understanding; considerate; thoughtful; sensible
- adj-na, n familiar with worldly pleasures (esp. sexual relations, geisha districts and red-light districts)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “chic”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お洒落 | おしゃれ oshare | stylish; fashionable; trendy |
| シック | シック shikku | chic; stylish; smart |
| 乙 | おつ otsu | stylish; chic; smart |
| 瀟洒 | しょうしゃ shousha | stylish; smart; elegant |
| オサレ | オサレ osare | fashionable; stylish; chic |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 純粋 | じゅんすい junsui | pure; true; genuine |
| 抜粋 | ばっすい bassui | extract; excerpt; selection |
| 生粋 | きっすい kissui | pure; genuine; trueborn |
| 国粋 | こくすい kokusui | national characteristics |
| 無粋 | ぶすい busui | boorish; inelegant; unpolished |
| 粋人 | すいじん suijin | person of refined tastes; sophisticated person |
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.