Japanese symbol for “kneel”
座る
すわる
Romaji: suwaru
to sit (down); to have a seat; to be seated; to kneel (on the floor)
In Japanese, kneel is 座る, read すわる (suwaru).
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
- v5r, vi to sit (down); to have a seat; to be seated; to kneel (on the floor)
- v5r, vi to assume (a position); to take on (a duty); to occupy (a post)
Written forms: 座る、坐る、座わる、坐わる. Readings: すわる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “kneel”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 跪く | ひざまずく hizamazuku | to kneel (in respect); to genuflect |
| 折り敷く | おりしく orishiku | to kneel (on one knee); to crouch down (e.g. in a shooting stance) |
| 膝を折る | ひざをおる hizaooru | to bend the knee; to kneel; to crouch |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 座席 | ざせき zaseki | seat (esp. in public places or places with assigned seating); seating |
| 講座 | こうざ kouza | course (e.g. of lectures) |
| 即座 | そくざ sokuza | immediate; right there on the spot; impromptu |
| 銀座 | ぎんざ ginza | Ginza (district in Tokyo) |
| 口座 | こうざ kouza | account (e.g. bank) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “kneel”.
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.