Japanese symbol for “cleverly”
上手く
うまく
Romaji: umaku
skilfully; skillfully; well; aptly
In Japanese, cleverly is 上手く, read うまく (umaku).
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 skilfully; skillfully; well; aptly; cleverly
- adv successfully; smoothly
- adv deliciously
Written forms: 上手く、旨く、巧く、甘く. Readings: うまく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cleverly”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 確り | しっかり shikkari | reliably; dependably; levelheadedly |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以上 | いじょう ijou | not less than ...; ... and over; ... and above |
| 売り上げ | うりあげ uriage | amount sold; sales; proceeds |
| 上昇 | じょうしょう joushou | rising; ascending; climbing |
| 向上 | こうじょう koujou | elevation; rise; improvement |
| 上司 | じょうし joushi | (one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups |
| 地上 | ちじょう chijou | above ground; on the ground; earth's surface |
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
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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