Japanese symbol for “lesser”
従
じゅ
Romaji: ju
lesser (of equal court ranks); lower; junior
In Japanese, lesser is 従, read じゅ (ju).
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, n-pref lesser (of equal court ranks); lower; junior
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “lesser”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 姫 | ひめ hime | small; cute; lesser (in names of species) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 従来 | じゅうらい juurai | up to now; so far |
| 従事 | じゅうじ juuji | engaging in (work); pursuing (e.g. studies); following (a profession) |
| 従って | したがって shitagatte | therefore; consequently; accordingly |
| 服従 | ふくじゅう fukujuu | obedience; submission; resignation |
| 従軍 | じゅうぐん juugun | military service; serving in a war; taking part in a campaign |
| 従う | したがう shitagau | to obey (an order, law, etc.); to abide by (a rule, custom, etc.); to follow |
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.