Japanese symbol for “handiwork”
細工
さいく
Romaji: saiku
work; workmanship; craftsmanship; handiwork
In Japanese, handiwork is 細工, read さいく (saiku).
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, vs, vt work; workmanship; craftsmanship; handiwork
- n, vs, vt artifice; trick; device; tampering; doctoring
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “handiwork”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 手細工 | てざいく tezaiku | handiwork; handicraft; homemade |
| 細工物 | さいくもの saikumono | handiwork; ware |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 詳細 | しょうさい shousai | details; particulars; specifics |
| 細胞 | さいぼう saibou | cell |
| 細かい | こまかい komakai | small |
| 細菌 | さいきん saikin | bacterium; bacteria; germ |
| 細い | ほそい hosoi | thin; slender; fine |
| 繊細 | せんさい sensai | dainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine |
| 工場 | こうじょう koujou | factory; plant; mill |
| 工事 | こうじ kouji | construction work |
See also: Chinese symbol for “handiwork”.
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.