Japanese symbol for “linger”
長引く
ながびく
Romaji: nagabiku
to be prolonged; to drag on; to take a long time; to persist
In Japanese, linger is 長引く, read ながびく (nagabiku).
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
- v5k, vi to be prolonged; to drag on; to take a long time; to persist; to linger
Written forms: 長引く、長びく. Readings: ながびく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “linger”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 迷う | まよう mayou | to linger (of a departed soul); to be restless in one's grave; to be unable to rest in peace |
| 佇む | たたずむ tatazumu | to stand still (for a while); to remain in one place; to linger |
| 粘る | ねばる nebaru | to persevere; to persist; to stick to |
| 暮れ残る | くれのこる kurenokoru | to linger (faint light of twilight); to remain lit in the lingering twilight |
| ぶらつく | ぶらつく buratsuku | to stroll about; to saunter; to wander |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 成長 | せいちょう seichou | growth; development; growing up |
| 社長 | しゃちょう shachou | company president; manager; director |
| 会長 | かいちょう kaichou | president (of a society); chairman |
| 長い | ながい nagai | long (distance, length) |
| 身長 | しんちょう shinchou | height (of a person); stature |
| 市長 | しちょう shichou | mayor |
| 取引 | とりひき torihiki | transactions; dealings; business |
| 引退 | いんたい intai | retirement |
See also: Chinese symbol for “linger”.
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.