Japanese symbol for “firmness”
歯ごたえ
はごたえ
Romaji: hagotae
chewiness; firmness; feel of food while being chewed
In Japanese, firmness is 歯ごたえ, read はごたえ (hagotae).
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 chewiness; firmness; feel of food while being chewed
- n challenge (e.g. work, book); toughness
Written forms: 歯ごたえ、歯応え. Readings: はごたえ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “firmness”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 硬さ | かたさ katasa | firmness; hardness; stiffness |
| 堅 | けん ken | strength; solidity; firmness |
| 盤石 | ばんじゃく banjaku | firmness; solidity |
| 締まり | しまり shimari | firmness; tightness; discipline |
| 張り | はり hari | resilience (e.g. of hair); springiness; firmness (e.g. of skin) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歯科 | しか shika | dentistry |
| 歯止め | はどめ hadome | brake; drag; skid |
| 虫歯 | むしば mushiba | tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity |
| 歯車 | はぐるま haguruma | gear; cogwheel |
| 歯ブラシ | はブラシ haburashi | toothbrush |
| 歯医者 | はいしゃ haisha | dentist |
See also: Chinese symbol for “firmness”.
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.