Japanese symbol for “impossible”
不可能
ふかのう
Romaji: fukanou
impossible
In Japanese, impossible is 不可能, read ふかのう (fukanou).
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 impossible
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “impossible”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不能 | ふのう funou | impossible; incapable (of doing); unable (to do) |
| 無理 | むり muri | impossible |
| 難しい | むずかしい muzukashii | impossible; unfeasible |
| 論外 | ろんがい rongai | out of the question; outrageous; impossible |
| 無い | ない nai | not; impossible; won't happen |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure; indistinct |
| 不安 | ふあん fuan | anxiety; uneasiness; worry |
| 不足 | ふそく fusoku | insufficiency; deficiency; shortage |
| 不満 | ふまん fuman | dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure |
| 不思議 | ふしぎ fushigi | wonderful; marvelous; strange |
| 可能 | かのう kanou | possible; potential; practicable |
| 許可 | きょか kyoka | permission; approval; authorization |
| 可哀想 | かわいそう kawaisou | poor; pitiable; pathetic |
| 機能 | きのう kinou | function; facility; faculty |
See also: Chinese symbol for “impossible”.
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.