King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “hmm”

Romaji: ka
indicates a question

In Japanese, hmm is (ka).

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

  1. prt indicates a question
  2. prt indicates an embedded question; indicates an indirect question
  3. prt or; whether or not; either ... or ...
  4. prt some- (e.g. something, someone)
  5. prt hmm; huh; I wonder (if, why, etc.); it might (be); maybe; perhaps it's (because of)
  6. prt shouldn't we ...?; why don't we ...?; what about ...?; how about ...?; let's ...; may I ...?

Other Japanese words for “hmm”

WordReadingMeaning
ふん funhmm; well ...; humph
ふむ fumuhmm; I see; hrm
むむ mumuhum; hmm
さあ saawell; hmm; uh
あっそ assooh, OK; oh, I see; oh, yeah?

See also: Chinese symbol for “hmm”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Best Wooden Butterfly Knives for Wing Chun Form Practice
  2. Choosing a Bokken Set for Training Quality and Durability
  3. Best Lightweight Bokken for Older Students and Senior Aikido
  4. Choosing a Bokken for Koryu Practice by School Requirements
  5. Choosing a Bokken Tsuba and Stopper Set for Training
  6. Cotton vs Polyester Hakama Which Is Easier to Maintain
  7. Choosing Your First Bokken for Serious Samurai Training
  8. Are Engraved Bokken Good Gifts and Can You Train With Them
  9. Best Wooden Naginata for Practice and How to Choose Yours
  10. Choosing a Keikogi for Hakama Compatibility and Performance