Japanese symbol for “constraint”
拘束
こうそく
Romaji: kousoku
restriction; restraint; binding; constraint
In Japanese, constraint is 拘束, read こうそく (kousoku).
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, vs, vt restriction; restraint; binding; constraint
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “constraint”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抑制 | よくせい yokusei | control; restraint; suppression |
| 遠慮 | えんりょ enryo | reserve; constraint; restraint |
| 気兼ね | きがね kigane | constraint; reserve; feeling hesitant |
| 枷 | かせ kase | shackles; fetters; irons |
| 繋縛 | けいばく keibaku | constraint; restraint; restriction |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拘置 | こうち kouchi | detention; confinement; arrest |
| 拘留 | こうりゅう kouryuu | custody; detention; confinement |
| 拘禁 | こうきん koukin | detention; custody; confinement |
| 拘る | こだわる kodawaru | to be obsessive (about); to be overly concerned (with); to fuss (over) |
| 拘り | こだわり kodawari | obsession; fixation; hangup |
| 約束 | やくそく yakusoku | promise; agreement; arrangement |
| 花束 | はなたば hanataba | bunch of flowers; bouquet |
| 結束 | けっそく kessoku | union; unity; solidarity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “constraint”.
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.