King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “faintly”

Romaji: hono
faintly; dimly; slightly; barely

In Japanese, faintly is , read (hono).

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

  1. pref faintly; dimly; slightly; barely

Kanji and stroke order

be seen dimly, suggest, intimate
on: ソク
kun: ほの.か、ほの-、ほの.めかす、ほの.めく
4 strokes

Other Japanese words for “faintly”

WordReadingMeaning
あわあわ awaawalightly; faintly; delicately
ほんのり honnorislightly; faintly
ぼんやり bon'yaridimly; faintly; indistinctly
うすぼんやり usubon'yarifaintly; weakly; dimly
ぼーっと boottodimly; hazily; faintly

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ほのか honokafaint; indistinct; dim
ほのめかす honomekasuto hint at; to intimate; to suggest
ほのめかし honomekashihint; intimation; suggestion
ひょうそく hyousokumeter (in Chinese poetry); consistency
そくぶん sokubunhearing casually; hearing by chance; learning by hearsay
ほのぼの honobonodimly; faintly; with a faint light

See also: Chinese symbol for “faintly”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Choosing a Bokken for Koryu Practice by School Requirements
  2. Choosing a Bokken Tsuba and Stopper Set for Training
  3. Cotton vs Polyester Hakama Which Is Easier to Maintain
  4. Choosing Your First Bokken for Serious Samurai Training
  5. Are Engraved Bokken Good Gifts and Can You Train With Them
  6. Best Wooden Naginata for Practice and How to Choose Yours
  7. Choosing a Keikogi for Hakama Compatibility and Performance
  8. What Size Hakama Should I Order for Proper Fit
  9. Best Aikido Hakama for Beginners Choosing Your First Pair
  10. Kendo Bogu Costs and Timing Your First Purchase