Japanese symbol for “manoeuvring”
工作
こうさく
Romaji: kousaku
handicraft
In Japanese, manoeuvring is 工作, read こうさく (kousaku).
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, vs, vt handicraft
- n, vs, vt work; construction; manufacturing
- n, vs, vt maneuvering; manoeuvring
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “manoeuvring”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 画策 | かくさく kakusaku | scheming; planning; maneuvering |
| 蠢動 | しゅんどう shundou | maneuvering (behind the scenes; of insignificant people); manoeuvring; planning mischief |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 工場 | こうじょう koujou | factory; plant; mill |
| 工事 | こうじ kouji | construction work |
| 加工 | かこう kakou | manufacturing; processing; treatment |
| 人工 | じんこう jinkou | artificial; man-made; human work |
| 工業 | こうぎょう kougyou | (manufacturing) industry |
| 作る | つくる tsukuru | to make; to produce; to manufacture |
| 作品 | さくひん sakuhin | work (e.g. book, film, painting, composition); piece; production |
| 作業 | さぎょう sagyou | work; operation; task |
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.