Japanese symbol for “intellectual”
知的
ちてき
Romaji: chiteki
intellectual
In Japanese, intellectual is 知的, read ちてき (chiteki).
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 intellectual
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “intellectual”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| インテリ | インテリ interi | intellectual; educated person |
| 理知的 | りちてき richiteki | intellectual |
| 知識人 | ちしきじん chishikijin | intellectual |
| 主知的 | しゅちてき shuchiteki | intellectual |
| 知性的 | ちせいてき chiseiteki | intellectual |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 知る | しる shiru | to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of) |
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
| ご存知 | ごぞんじ gozonji | knowing; being aware (of) |
| 知事 | ちじ chiji | prefectural governor |
| 知り合い | しりあい shiriai | acquaintance |
| 通知 | つうち tsuuchi | notice; notification; report |
| 目的 | もくてき mokuteki | purpose; goal; aim |
| 法的 | ほうてき houteki | legal |
See also: Chinese symbol for “intellectual”.
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.