Japanese symbol for “formality”
形式
けいしき
Romaji: keishiki
form (as opposed to substance)
In Japanese, formality is 形式, read けいしき (keishiki).
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 form (as opposed to substance)
- n format; form; style; manner
- n formality; form
- n mode; form (phil)
- n form (bilinear, quadratic, etc.) (math)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “formality”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 儀礼 | ぎれい girei | courtesy; etiquette; formality |
| 格式 | かくしき kakushiki | formality; social rules |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 人形 | にんぎょう ningyou | doll; puppet; marionette |
| 形成 | けいせい keisei | formation; molding; making (up) |
| 変形 | へんけい henkei | transformation; variation; metamorphosis |
| 形態 | けいたい keitai | form; shape; figure |
| 山形 | やまがた yamagata | Yamagata (city, prefecture) |
| 公式 | こうしき koushiki | official; formal |
| 正式 | せいしき seishiki | formal; official; regular |
| 株式 | かぶしき kabushiki | share (in a company); stock |
See also: Chinese symbol for “formality”.
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.