King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “moderation”

Romaji: chuudou
middle of the road; centrism; moderation; golden mean

In Japanese, moderation is , read (chuudou).

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. adj-no, n middle of the road; centrism; moderation; golden mean
  2. n the middle (of what one is doing); half-way
  3. n middle way; middle path (Buddh)

Kanji and stroke order

in, inside, middle
on: チュウ
kun: なか、うち、あた.る
4 strokes · JLPT 4
road-way, street, district
on: ドウ、トウ
kun: みち、いう
12 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “moderation”

WordReadingMeaning
せつど setsudomoderation; standard
せっせい sesseimoderation; self-restraint; temperance
ちゅう chuumiddle way; moderation
かげん kagenadjustment; moderation; regulation
ちゅうよう chuuyoumiddle way; (golden) mean; moderation

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ちゅうしん chuushincenter; centre; middle
とちゅう tochuuon the way; en route
ちゅうおう chuuoucentre; center; middle
しゅうちゅう shuuchuuconcentration (on a task); focusing one's attention
ちゅうし chuushiinterruption; discontinuance; suspension
なかみ nakamicontents; interior; filling
ほうどう houdoureport (of news); reporting; news
どうろ douroroad; highway

See also: Chinese symbol for “moderation”.

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. Are Cold Steel Training Swords Good for Practice
  2. Shinai Maintenance and Essential Tools for Bamboo Care
  3. Best Shinai for Kendo Beginners Choosing Your First Sword
  4. Choosing the Best Bokken for Kendo Kata
  5. Using a Tsuba on Your Bokken for Partner Practice
  6. How Much Should You Spend on a Wooden Practice Sword
  7. How Long Should a Bokken Be for Your Height
  8. Red Oak vs White Oak for Bokken Which Wood Wins
  9. Best Bokken for Beginners: Choosing Your First Training Sword
  10. Best Escrima Sticks for Students Choosing Your First Pair