Japanese symbol for “complementary”
補足的
ほそくてき
Romaji: hosokuteki
complementary; supplementary
In Japanese, complementary is 補足的, read ほそくてき (hosokuteki).
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 complementary; supplementary
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 候補 | こうほ kouho | candidate; contender; prospect |
| 補助 | ほじょ hojo | assistance; support; help |
| 補給 | ほきゅう hokyuu | supply; supplying; replenishment |
| 補償 | ほしょう hoshou | compensation; reparation |
| 立候補 | りっこうほ rikkouho | candidacy; standing as a candidate; bidding (to host an event, e.g. the Olympics) |
| 補佐 | ほさ hosa | aid; help; assistance |
| 満足 | まんぞく manzoku | satisfaction; contentment; gratification |
| 不足 | ふそく fusoku | insufficiency; deficiency; shortage |
| 目的 | もくてき mokuteki | purpose; goal; aim |
See also: Chinese symbol for “complementary”.
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.