Japanese symbol for “crucial”
大切
たいせつ
Romaji: taisetsu
important; significant; serious; crucial
In Japanese, crucial is 大切, read たいせつ (taisetsu).
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 important; significant; serious; crucial
- adj-na precious; valuable; dear; cherished; beloved
- adj-na careful
Written forms: 大切. Readings: たいせつ、たいせち.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “crucial”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大事 | だいじ daiji | important; serious; crucial |
| 肝心 | かんじん kanjin | essential; important; crucial |
| 肝要 | かんよう kan'you | extremely important; essential; vital |
| 肝心要 | かんじんかなめ kanjinkaname | crucial; key; most important |
| 核心的 | かくしんてき kakushinteki | crucial; critical; vital |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ daijoubu | safe; secure; sound |
| 大変 | たいへん taihen | very; greatly; terribly |
| 大学 | だいがく daigaku | university; college |
| 最大 | さいだい saidai | biggest; greatest; largest |
| 大会 | たいかい taikai | mass meeting; convention; rally |
| 大統領 | だいとうりょう daitouryou | president (of a country) |
| 一切 | いっさい issai | all; everything; entirety |
| 適切 | てきせつ tekisetsu | appropriate; suitable; fitting |
See also: Chinese symbol for “crucial”.
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.