Japanese symbol for “kink”
癖
くせ
Romaji: kuse
habit (usu. a bad one); tendency
In Japanese, kink is 癖, read くせ (kuse).
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 habit (usu. a bad one); tendency
- n peculiarity; idiosyncrasy; mannerism; quirk
- n crease; wrinkle; curl; kink
Written forms: 癖. Readings: くせ、へき、クセ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “kink”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歪み | ゆがみ yugami | kink (in one's character); twist |
| 縮れ | ちぢれ chijire | frizz; kink; crimp |
| 捩れ | ねじれ nejire | twist; wrench; distortion |
| アホ毛 | あほげ ahoge | frizz; short tufts springing up from hair surface here and there; kink |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 口癖 | くちぐせ kuchiguse | pet saying; favorite phrase; stock phrase |
| 性癖 | せいへき seiheki | disposition; inclination; characteristic |
| 潔癖 | けっぺき keppeki | fastidiousness; love of cleanliness |
| 難癖 | なんくせ nankuse | fault |
| 悪癖 | あくへき akuheki | bad habit; vice |
| 酒癖 | さけぐせ sakeguse | drinking habits; drunken behavior; drunken behaviour |
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.