Japanese symbol for “deft”
巧妙
こうみょう
Romaji: koumyou
ingenious; skillful; clever; deft
In Japanese, deft is 巧妙, read こうみょう (koumyou).
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, n ingenious; skillful; clever; deft; sophisticated
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “deft”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 器用 | きよう kiyou | skillful; skilful; adroit |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 巧み | たくみ takumi | skillful; adroit; dexterous |
| 精巧 | せいこう seikou | elaborate; delicate; exquisite |
| 技巧 | ぎこう gikou | technique; finesse |
| 巧者 | こうしゃ kousha | cleverness; skill; tact |
| 巧拙 | こうせつ kousetsu | skill; workmanship; dexterity |
| 微妙 | びみょう bimyou | subtle; delicate; fine |
| 奇妙 | きみょう kimyou | strange; odd; peculiar |
| 絶妙 | ぜつみょう zetsumyou | exquisite; superb; perfect |
See also: Chinese symbol for “deft”.
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.