King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “firmly”

Romaji: danzen
firmly; flatly; resolutely; decisively

In Japanese, firmly is , read (danzen).

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. adj-t, adv firmly; flatly; resolutely; decisively; absolutely; definitely
  2. adv definitely (wrong, different, etc.); absolutely
  3. adv by far; far and away; by a long shot; hands down

Kanji and stroke order

severance, decline, refuse
on: ダン
kun: た.つ、ことわ.る、さだ.める
11 strokes · JLPT 2
sort of thing, so, if so
on: ゼン、ネン
kun: しか、しか.り、しか.し、さ
12 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “firmly”

WordReadingMeaning
がっしり gasshirifirmly; solidly; sturdily
がんとして gantoshitestubbornly; firmly; determinedly
ぎゅっと gyuttotightly (hold, squeeze, etc.); firmly; forcefully (e.g. push)
しっかり shikkaritightly (holding on); firmly; securely
がっぷり gappurifirmly (grasped); latched onto; locked onto

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
はんだん handanjudgment; judgement; decision
しんだん shindandiagnosis; medical examination
けつだん ketsudandecision; determination
むだん mudanabsence of permission; lack of permission
ちゅうだん chuudaninterruption; suspension; break
だんねん dannenabandoning (hope, plans); giving up
しぜん shizennature
とうぜん touzennatural; right; proper

See also: Chinese symbol for “firmly”.

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. Best Wooden Tai Chi Swords for Training and Performance
  2. Collapsible Tai Chi Swords in Parks and Public Transit
  3. Are Telescopic Tai Chi Swords Good for Practice
  4. Best Tai Chi Swords for Beginners and How to Choose Yours
  5. Choosing the Right Tai Chi Sword Length for Your Height
  6. Choosing Your First Tai Chi Sword Wood or Metal
  7. Selecting a Bokken for Outdoor Training
  8. Are Unvarnished Bokken Better for Grip Than Lacquered Ones
  9. Best Wooden Butterfly Knives for Wing Chun Form Practice
  10. Choosing a Bokken Set for Training Quality and Durability