Japanese symbol for “gentle”
優しい
やさしい
Romaji: yasashii
tender; kind; gentle; graceful
In Japanese, gentle is 優しい, read やさしい (yasashii).
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
- adj-i tender; kind; gentle; graceful; affectionate; amiable
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gentle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 穏やか | おだやか odayaka | calm; quiet; gentle |
| 親切 | しんせつ shinsetsu | kind; gentle; considerate |
| 柔和 | にゅうわ nyuuwa | gentle; mild; meek |
| 穏便 | おんびん onbin | gentle; peaceable; amicable |
| 温厚 | おんこう onkou | gentle; mild-mannered |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 優勝 | ゆうしょう yuushou | overall victory; championship; winning the title |
| 女優 | じょゆう joyuu | actress; female actor |
| 優先 | ゆうせん yuusen | preference; priority; precedence |
| 優秀 | ゆうしゅう yuushuu | superior; excellent; brilliant |
| 俳優 | はいゆう haiyuu | actor; actress; player |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gentle”.
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.