Japanese symbol for “mettle”
気概
きがい
Romaji: kigai
strong spirit; mettle; backbone; guts
In Japanese, mettle is 気概, read きがい (kigai).
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 strong spirit; mettle; backbone; guts; fighting spirit
Written forms: 気概、気慨. Readings: きがい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mettle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 心意気 | こころいき kokoroiki | spirit; determination; pluck |
| 概 | がい gai | strong spirit; mettle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気持ち | きもち kimochi | feeling; sensation; mood |
| 人気 | にんき ninki | popularity; public favor |
| 気分 | きぶん kibun | feeling; mood |
| 元気 | げんき genki | lively; full of spirit; energetic |
| 電気 | でんき denki | electricity |
| 雰囲気 | ふんいき fun'iki | atmosphere; mood; ambience |
| 概念 | がいねん gainen | general idea; concept; notion |
| 概要 | がいよう gaiyou | outline; summary; overview |
See also: Chinese symbol for “mettle”.
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.