Japanese symbol for “manual”
手動
しゅどう
Romaji: shudou
manual (operation)
In Japanese, manual is 手動, read しゅどう (shudou).
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-no, n manual (operation)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “manual”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| マニュアル | マニュアル manyuaru | (instruction) manual |
| 読本 | とくほん tokuhon | reading-book; reader; guidebook |
| 教本 | きょうほん kyouhon | textbook; manual |
| 手引き | てびき tebiki | guide; primer; guidebook |
| 仕様書 | しようしょ shiyousho | manual; instructions; guide |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
| 活動 | かつどう katsudou | activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; operation |
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
See also: Chinese symbol for “manual”.
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.