Japanese symbol for “compulsory”
必須
ひっす
Romaji: hissu
indispensable; essential; requisite; required
In Japanese, compulsory is 必須, read ひっす (hissu).
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, adj-no, n indispensable; essential; requisite; required; compulsory; necessary
Written forms: 必須. Readings: ひっす、ひっしゅ、ひっすう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “compulsory”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無理 | むり muri | forcible; forced; compulsory |
| 規定 | きてい kitei | compulsory exercise (in gymnastics); compulsory routine; compulsory dance (figure skating) |
| 義務的 | ぎむてき gimuteki | compulsory; obligatory; mandatory |
| 否応なし | いやおうなし iyaounashi | compulsory; unavoidable; necessary |
| 強制的 | きょうせいてき kyouseiteki | forced; compulsory |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 必要 | ひつよう hitsuyou | necessary; needed; essential |
| 必ず | かならず kanarazu | always; without exception; necessarily |
| 必死 | ひっし hisshi | frantic; frenetic; desperate |
| 必ずしも | かならずしも kanarazushimo | (not) always; (not) necessarily; (not) entirely |
| 必然 | ひつぜん hitsuzen | inevitable; necessary; certain |
| 急須 | きゅうす kyuusu | small teapot |
| 呉須 | ごす gosu | gosu porcelain |
| 須臾 | しゅゆ shuyu | moment; instant; short amount of time |
See also: Chinese symbol for “compulsory”.
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.