Japanese symbol for “moderation”
中道
ちゅうどう
Romaji: chuudou
middle of the road; centrism; moderation; golden mean
In Japanese, moderation is 中道, read ちゅうどう (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
- adj-no, n middle of the road; centrism; moderation; golden mean
- n the middle (of what one is doing); half-way
- n middle way; middle path (Buddh)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “moderation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 節度 | せつど setsudo | moderation; standard |
| 節制 | せっせい sessei | moderation; self-restraint; temperance |
| 中 | ちゅう chuu | middle way; moderation |
| 加減 | かげん kagen | adjustment; moderation; regulation |
| 中庸 | ちゅうよう chuuyou | middle way; (golden) mean; moderation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 途中 | とちゅう tochuu | on the way; en route |
| 中央 | ちゅうおう chuuou | centre; center; middle |
| 集中 | しゅうちゅう shuuchuu | concentration (on a task); focusing one's attention |
| 中止 | ちゅうし chuushi | interruption; discontinuance; suspension |
| 中身 | なかみ nakami | contents; interior; filling |
| 報道 | ほうどう houdou | report (of news); reporting; news |
| 道路 | どうろ douro | road; 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.