Japanese symbol for “gradual”
小刻み
こきざみ
Romaji: kokizami
mincing; chopping finely
In Japanese, gradual is 小刻み, read こきざみ (kokizami).
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-na, n mincing; chopping finely
- adj-na, n short and repeated (movements; e.g. trembling, quick steps)
- adj-na, n gradual; bit by bit; little by little
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gradual”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| なだらか | なだらか nadaraka | gently sloping; gentle; gradual |
| 漸進的 | ぜんしんてき zenshinteki | gradual |
| 漸次的 | ぜんじてき zenjiteki | gradual; slow |
| なし崩し的 | なしくずしてき nashikuzushiteki | gradual (destruction); progressive (dismantlement) |
| 徐々 | じょじょ jojo | slow; gradual; steady |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 小説 | しょうせつ shousetsu | novel; story; (work of) fiction |
| 小学校 | しょうがっこう shougakkou | primary school; elementary school; grade school |
| 小学生 | しょうがくせい shougakusei | elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student |
| 小型 | こがた kogata | small-sized; small-scale; miniature |
| 小さい | ちいさい chiisai | small; little; tiny |
| 縮小 | しゅくしょう shukushou | reduction; curtailment; cut |
| 深刻 | しんこく shinkoku | serious; severe; grave |
| 時刻 | じこく jikoku | time; (the) hour |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gradual”.
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.