Japanese symbol for “defensive”
受身
うけみ
Romaji: ukemi
the defensive
In Japanese, defensive is 受身, read うけみ (ukemi).
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 the defensive
- adj-na, adj-no, n passive attitude; passivity; passiveness
- adj-na, adj-no, n the passive; passive voice (gramm)
- adj-na, adj-no, n ukemi (the art of falling safely) (MA)
Written forms: 受身、受け身. Readings: うけみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “defensive”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 守勢 | しゅせい shusei | (being on the) defensive |
| 守備的 | しゅびてき shubiteki | defensive |
| 防衛的 | ぼうえいてき boueiteki | defensive |
| ディフェンシブ | ディフェンシブ difenshibu | defensive |
| 言い訳がましい | いいわけがましい iiwakegamashii | seeming like an excuse; seeming like a justification; defensive |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 受験 | じゅけん juken | taking an examination (esp. for entrance to a school or university) |
| 受け | うけ uke | popularity; favour; favor |
| 受ける | うける ukeru | to receive; to get |
| 受付 | うけつけ uketsuke | reception (desk); information desk; receptionist |
| 受信 | じゅしん jushin | receiving (a message, letter, email, etc.); reception (radio, TV, etc.) |
| 受け入れ | うけいれ ukeire | receiving; acceptance; reception |
| 自身 | じしん jishin | (one's) self; oneself; yourself |
| 出身 | しゅっしん shusshin | one's origin (e.g. city, country, parentage, school) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “defensive”.
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.