King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “marionette”

Romaji: ningyou
doll; puppet; marionette

In Japanese, marionette is , read (ningyou).

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

  1. n doll; puppet; marionette
  2. n puppet (person under the control of another); straw man; yes-man

Kanji and stroke order

person
on: ジン、ニン
kun: ひと、-り、-と
2 strokes · JLPT 4
shape, form, style
on: ケイ、ギョウ
kun: かた、-がた、かたち、なり
7 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “marionette”

WordReadingMeaning
マリオネット marionettomarionette
かいらい kairaipuppet; marionette
あやつりにんぎょう ayatsuriningyoupuppet; marionette
からくりにんぎょう karakuriningyoumechanical doll; automaton; string puppet

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
にんげん ningenhuman being; human; person
こじん kojinindividual; private person; personal
にんき ninkipopularity; public favor
じんせい jinsei(one's) life
ひとびと hitobitopeople; men and women
おとな otonaadult; grown-up
けいしき keishikiform (as opposed to substance)
けいせい keiseiformation; molding; making (up)

See also: Chinese symbol for “marionette”.

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.

Last posts

  1. How Much Should You Spend on a Tai Chi Sword Budgeting Tips
  2. Tai Chi vs Wushu Swords What Sets Them Apart
  3. Are Flexible Wushu Swords Suitable for Tai Chi Forms
  4. Best Unsharpened Tai Chi Jian for Forms and Training
  5. How Heavy Should a Tai Chi Sword Be for Proper Training
  6. Best Wooden Tai Chi Swords for Training and Performance
  7. Collapsible Tai Chi Swords in Parks and Public Transit
  8. Are Telescopic Tai Chi Swords Good for Practice
  9. Best Tai Chi Swords for Beginners and How to Choose Yours
  10. Choosing the Right Tai Chi Sword Length for Your Height