Japanese symbol for “indescribable”
言い知れぬ
いいしれぬ
Romaji: iishirenu
indescribable; inexpressible; unspeakable
In Japanese, indescribable is 言い知れぬ, read いいしれぬ (iishirenu).
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-pn indescribable; inexpressible; unspeakable
Written forms: 言い知れぬ、言いしれぬ、いい知れぬ、言知れぬ. Readings: いいしれぬ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “indescribable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| えも言われぬ | えもいわれぬ emoiwarenu | indescribable; exquisite; inexpressible |
| えも言われず | えもいわれず emoiwarezu | indescribable; exquisite; inexpressible |
| 形容のない | けいようのない keiyounonai | indescribable (esp. indescribably beautiful); defying description |
| えも言はず | えもいわず emoiwazu | indescribable (beauty, awfulness, etc.); unutterable; inexpressable |
| 名状しがたい | めいじょうしがたい meijoushigatai | indescribable; inexpressible; beyond description |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect |
| 発言 | はつげん hatsugen | statement; remark; observation |
| 宣言 | せんげん sengen | declaration; proclamation; announcement |
| 言語 | げんご gengo | language |
| 一言 | ひとこと hitokoto | single word; a few words; brief comment |
| 知る | しる shiru | to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of) |
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
See also: Chinese symbol for “indescribable”.
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.