Japanese symbol for “handful”
握り
にぎり
Romaji: nigiri
grasping; gripping; grasp; grip
In Japanese, handful is 握り, read にぎり (nigiri).
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 grasping; gripping; grasp; grip; clutch
- n handful; fistful
- n handle; grip; knob
- n onigiri; rice ball (food)
- n nigirizushi; hand-formed sushi with a topping of seafood, etc. (food)
- n nigiri; determining who plays black by taking a handful of white stones and using one or two black stones to guess whether it is odd or even (go)
Written forms: 握り. Readings: にぎり、ニギリ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “handful”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一握り | ひとにぎり hitonigiri | a handful (of) |
| 一握 | いちあく ichiaku | a handful (of) |
| 一掴み | ひとつかみ hitotsukami | a handful (of) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 握手 | あくしゅ akushu | handshake |
| 把握 | はあく haaku | grasp (of the situation, meaning, etc.); understanding; control |
| 握る | にぎる nigiru | to clasp; to grasp; to grip |
| 掌握 | しょうあく shouaku | grasping; seizing; holding |
| 握力 | あくりょく akuryoku | grip (of hand); grip strength |
See also: Chinese symbol for “handful”.
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.