Japanese symbol for “inventing”
工夫
くふう
Romaji: kufuu
devising (a way); contriving; inventing; thinking up
In Japanese, inventing is 工夫, read くふう (kufuu).
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
- n, vs, vt devising (a way); contriving; inventing; thinking up; figuring out; coming up with
- n device; design; idea; plan; invention
- n, vs, vt dedication to spiritual improvement (esp. through Zen meditation)
Written forms: 工夫、功夫. Readings: くふう.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 工場 | こうじょう koujou | factory; plant; mill |
| 工事 | こうじ kouji | construction work |
| 加工 | かこう kakou | manufacturing; processing; treatment |
| 人工 | じんこう jinkou | artificial; man-made; human work |
| 工作 | こうさく kousaku | handicraft |
| 工業 | こうぎょう kougyou | (manufacturing) industry |
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ daijoubu | safe; secure; sound |
| 夫婦 | ふうふ fuufu | married couple; husband and wife; man and wife |
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.