Japanese symbol for “failing”
弱み
よわみ
Romaji: yowami
(a) weakness; shortcoming; failing; sore point
In Japanese, failing is 弱み, read よわみ (yowami).
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
- n (a) weakness; shortcoming; failing; sore point
Written forms: 弱み、弱味. Readings: よわみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “failing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 病気 | びょうき byouki | bad habit; bad behaviour; weakness |
| 転び | ころび korobi | failure; failing |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弱い | よわい yowai | weak; frail; delicate |
| 弱点 | じゃくてん jakuten | weak point; weakness; shortcoming |
| 弱気 | よわき yowaki | timid; weak-kneed; fainthearted |
| 貧弱 | ひんじゃく hinjaku | poor; meagre; meager |
| 脆弱 | ぜいじゃく zeijaku | weak; frail; fragile |
See also: Chinese symbol for “failing”.
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.