Japanese symbol for “narrow”
窮屈
きゅうくつ
Romaji: kyuukutsu
narrow; tight; cramped
In Japanese, narrow is 窮屈, read きゅうくつ (kyuukutsu).
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-na, n narrow; tight; cramped
- adj-na, n formal; stiff; strict; ceremonious; rigid
- adj-na, n constrained; uncomfortable
- adj-na, n tight (e.g. finances)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “narrow”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 狭い | せまい semai | narrow; confined; small |
| 細身 | ほそみ hosomi | narrow (blade) |
| 狭める | せばめる sebameru | to narrow; to reduce; to contract |
| 手狭 | てぜま tezema | narrow; small; cramped |
| 狭まる | せばまる sebamaru | to narrow; to contract |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 困窮 | こんきゅう konkyuu | poverty; need; destitution |
| 窮地 | きゅうち kyuuchi | dilemma; predicament |
| 窮状 | きゅうじょう kyuujou | distress; wretched condition |
| 窮乏 | きゅうぼう kyuubou | poverty; destitution; privation |
| 窮余 | きゅうよ kyuuyo | extremity; desperation |
| 理屈 | りくつ rikutsu | theory; reason; logic |
| 退屈 | たいくつ taikutsu | tedious; boring; dull |
| 屈辱 | くつじょく kutsujoku | disgrace; humiliation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “narrow”.
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.