Japanese symbol for “delicate”
微妙
びみょう
Romaji: bimyou
subtle; delicate; fine
In Japanese, delicate is 微妙, read びみょう (bimyou).
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 subtle; delicate; fine
- adj-na, n difficult; complex; tricky; delicate (situation, position, etc.); close (e.g. decision)
- adj-na, n doubtful; questionable; dicey
- adj-na, n not great; iffy
- adj-na, n slightly; somewhat; a little bit
Written forms: 微妙. Readings: びみょう、ビミョー.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “delicate”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弱い | よわい yowai | weak; frail; delicate |
| 繊細 | せんさい sensai | dainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine |
| 精緻 | せいち seichi | delicate; minute; fine |
| 緻密 | ちみつ chimitsu | fine (grain, workmanship, etc.); close (weave); delicate |
| 精巧 | せいこう seikou | elaborate; delicate; exquisite |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 顕微鏡 | けんびきょう kenbikyou | microscope |
| 微笑 | びしょう bishou | smile |
| 微生物 | びせいぶつ biseibutsu | microbe; germ |
| 微熱 | びねつ binetsu | slight fever |
| 微小 | びしょう bishou | microscopic |
| 奇妙 | きみょう kimyou | strange; odd; peculiar |
| 巧妙 | こうみょう koumyou | ingenious; skillful; clever |
| 絶妙 | ぜつみょう zetsumyou | exquisite; superb; perfect |
See also: Chinese symbol for “delicate”.
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.