Japanese symbol for “hindrance”
邪魔
じゃま
Romaji: jama
hindrance; obstacle; nuisance; disturbance
In Japanese, hindrance is 邪魔, read じゃま (jama).
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, vs hindrance; obstacle; nuisance; disturbance; interruption; interference
- vi, vs to visit (someone's home)
- n demon who hinders Buddhist training; demon who obstructs sentient beings from maintaining moral behaviour (Buddh)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hindrance”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 障害 | しょうがい shougai | obstacle; impediment; hindrance |
| 妨害 | ぼうがい bougai | obstruction; hindrance; blocking |
| 差し支え | さしつかえ sashitsukae | hindrance; impediment |
| 阻止 | そし soshi | obstruction; prevention; hindrance |
| 支障 | ししょう shishou | obstacle; hindrance; impediment |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 風邪 | かぜ kaze | (common) cold; influenza; flu |
| 無邪気 | むじゃき mujaki | innocent; childlike; sweet and innocent |
| 邪道 | じゃどう jadou | improper way (of doing); wrong way; unorthodox method |
| 邪悪 | じゃあく jaaku | wicked; evil |
| 邪険 | じゃけん jaken | cruel; hard-hearted; harsh |
| 悪魔 | あくま akuma | devil; demon; fiend |
| 魔法 | まほう mahou | magic; witchcraft; sorcery |
| 魔術 | まじゅつ majutsu | magic; sorcery; witchcraft |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hindrance”.
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.