Japanese symbol for “low”
低い
ひくい
Romaji: hikui
low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.)
In Japanese, low is 低い, read ひくい (hikui).
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
- adj-i low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.)
- adj-i low (position); close to the ground
- adj-i short (height)
- adj-i deep (voice); in a low key; low (volume)
Written forms: 低い. Readings: ひくい、ひっくい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “low”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 少ない | すくない sukunai | few; little; small (amount) |
| ロー | ロー roo | low |
| 低 | てい tei | low (level, value, price, etc.) |
| 小さい | ちいさい chiisai | low (e.g. sound); soft (e.g. voice) |
| 若い | わかい wakai | low (number); small |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最低 | さいてい saitei | least; lowest; minimum |
| 低下 | ていか teika | fall; decline; lowering |
| 低温 | ていおん teion | low temperature |
| 最低限 | さいていげん saiteigen | minimum |
| 低迷 | ていめい teimei | hanging low (of clouds) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “low”.
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.