Japanese symbol for “flutter”
翻る
ひるがえる
Romaji: hirugaeru
to flutter (in the wind); to wave; to flap; to fly
In Japanese, flutter is 翻る, read ひるがえる (hirugaeru).
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
- v5r, vi to flutter (in the wind); to wave; to flap; to fly
- v5r, vi to turn over; to flip over
- v5r, vi to suddenly change (attitude, opinion, etc.); to suddenly switch; to alter; to flip
Written forms: 翻る、飜る. Readings: ひるがえる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “flutter”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 揺らぎ | ゆらぎ yuragi | quiver; quaver; flutter |
| 舞う | まう mau | to whirl (in the wind); to flutter (about); to swirl |
| はたはた | はたはた hatahata | flutter; flap; sound of something light moving in the wind |
| はためく | はためく hatameku | to flutter (e.g. a flag); to wave |
| 靡く | なびく nabiku | to bend; to flutter; to wave |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 翻訳 | ほんやく hon'yaku | translation |
| 翻弄 | ほんろう honrou | having at one's mercy; trifling with; toying with |
| 翻案 | ほんあん hon'an | adaptation (of a novel, play, etc.) |
| 翻す | ひるがえす hirugaesu | to turn over |
| 翻意 | ほんい hon'i | changing one's mind |
See also: Chinese symbol for “flutter”.
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.