Japanese symbol for “competitor”
敵
かたき
Romaji: kataki
rival; opponent; adversary; competitor
In Japanese, competitor is 敵, read かたき (kataki).
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, n-suf rival; opponent; adversary; competitor; enemy (esp. one with which there is longstanding enmity); foe
- n revenge
- n spouse
Written forms: 敵、仇. Readings: かたき.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “competitor”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ライバル | ライバル raibaru | rival; competitor; competition |
| 参加者 | さんかしゃ sankasha | participant; entrant; player |
| 競技者 | きょうぎしゃ kyougisha | competitor; contestant; player |
| 競合者 | きょうごうしゃ kyougousha | competitor |
| 競争者 | きょうそうしゃ kyousousha | competitor; rival |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 素敵 | すてき suteki | lovely; wonderful; charming |
| 敵対 | てきたい tekitai | hostility; antagonism; opposition |
| 匹敵 | ひってき hitteki | to be a match for; to rival; to equal |
| 無敵 | むてき muteki | invincible; unrivaled; unrivalled |
| 宿敵 | しゅくてき shukuteki | old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy |
| 強敵 | きょうてき kyouteki | formidable enemy; strong enemy; tough enemy |
See also: Chinese symbol for “competitor”.
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.