Japanese symbol for “loitering”
徘徊
はいかい
Romaji: haikai
wandering (around); roaming; loitering; prowling
In Japanese, loitering is 徘徊, read はいかい (haikai).
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, vi, vs wandering (around); roaming; loitering; prowling; hanging around
Written forms: 徘徊、俳徊、徘回. Readings: はいかい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “loitering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彷徨える | さまよえる samayoeru | roaming; loitering; wandering |
| 休らい | やすらい yasurai | hesitating; loitering |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 深夜徘徊 | しんやはいかい shin'yahaikai | loitering at night; late-night prowling |
| 低徊趣味 | ていかいしゅみ teikaishumi | disposition toward rejecting mundane affairs and enjoying nature and art |
| 彷徊 | ほうかい houkai | walking around aimlessly |
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.