Japanese symbol for “exceptional”
特別
とくべつ
Romaji: tokubetsu
special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional
In Japanese, exceptional is 特別, read とくべつ (tokubetsu).
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, adv special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional; especial
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “exceptional”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 異例 | いれい irei | exceptional; unusual; extraordinary |
| 抜群 | ばつぐん batsugun | outstanding; excellent; exceptional |
| 特段 | とくだん tokudan | exceptional; unusual; special |
| 格別 | かくべつ kakubetsu | particular; special; exceptional |
| 破格 | はかく hakaku | extraordinary; exceptional; unprecedented |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 特に | とくに tokuni | particularly; especially; in particular |
| 独特 | どくとく dokutoku | peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic |
| 特徴 | とくちょう tokuchou | feature; trait; characteristic |
| 特定 | とくてい tokutei | specific; particular; designated |
| 特殊 | とくしゅ tokushu | special; particular; peculiar |
| 別に | べつに betsuni | (not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially |
| 差別 | さべつ sabetsu | distinction; differentiation; discrimination |
| 別れ | わかれ wakare | parting (of people); separation; farewell |
See also: Chinese symbol for “exceptional”.
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.