Japanese symbol for “earnest”
切実
せつじつ
Romaji: setsujitsu
earnest; sincere; acute; keen
In Japanese, earnest is 切実, read せつじつ (setsujitsu).
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 earnest; sincere; acute; keen; fervent
- adj-na, n pressing; urgent; serious; severe
- adj-na, n pertinent; appropriate
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “earnest”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真剣 | しんけん shinken | serious; earnest |
| 真面目 | まじめ majime | serious; earnest; sober |
| 懸命 | けんめい kenmei | eager; earnest; strenuous |
| 一途 | いちず ichizu | single-minded; intent; determined |
| 切 | せつ setsu | eager; earnest; ardent |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大切 | たいせつ taisetsu | important; significant; serious |
| 一切 | いっさい issai | all; everything; entirety |
| 適切 | てきせつ tekisetsu | appropriate; suitable; fitting |
| 切り | きり kiri | end; finish; place to stop |
| 切る | きる kiru | to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery) |
| 親切 | しんせつ shinsetsu | kind; gentle; considerate |
| 実際 | じっさい jissai | reality; actuality; truth |
| 実は | じつは jitsuha | as a matter of fact; by the way; to tell you the truth |
See also: Chinese symbol for “earnest”.
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.