Japanese symbol for “handwriting”
手書き
てがき
Romaji: tegaki
handwriting
In Japanese, handwriting is 手書き, read てがき (tegaki).
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 handwriting
- adj-no handwritten; hand-drawn; hand-painted
Written forms: 手書き、手書、手がき. Readings: てがき.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “handwriting”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 手 | て te | hand; handwriting |
| 筆跡 | ひっせき hisseki | handwriting |
| 字 | じ ji | handwriting; penmanship |
| 書 | しょ sho | handwriting |
| 書写 | しょしゃ shosha | handwriting (as a school subject); penmanship |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
| 文書 | ぶんしょ bunsho | document; writing; letter |
| 書籍 | しょせき shoseki | book; publication |
See also: Chinese symbol for “handwriting”.
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.