Japanese symbol for “invalid”
無効
むこう
Romaji: mukou
invalid; void; ineffective; unavailable
In Japanese, invalid is 無効, read むこう (mukou).
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, adj-no, n invalid; void; ineffective; unavailable
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “invalid”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 病人 | びょうにん byounin | sick person; patient; invalid |
| 廃人 | はいじん haijin | cripple; disabled person; invalid |
| 病者 | びょうしゃ byousha | sick person; patient; invalid |
| インバリッド | インバリッド inbariddo | invalid |
| 病弱者 | びょうじゃくしゃ byoujakusha | sickly person; invalid |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 無事 | ぶじ buji | safety; security; peace |
| 無駄 | むだ muda | futility; waste; uselessness |
| 無線 | むせん musen | radio (communication) |
| 無理やり | むりやり muriyari | forcibly; by force; against one's will |
| 効果 | こうか kouka | effect; effectiveness; efficacy |
| 有効 | ゆうこう yuukou | valid; effective |
See also: Chinese symbol for “invalid”.
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.