Japanese symbol for “nimble”
素早い
すばやい
Romaji: subayai
quick; swift; nimble; agile
In Japanese, nimble is 素早い, read すばやい (subayai).
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-i quick; swift; nimble; agile
- adj-i quick (understanding, judgement, etc.); alert; prompt
Written forms: 素早い、素速い、す早い、す速い. Readings: すばやい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “nimble”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 軽快 | けいかい keikai | light (of movements); nimble; sprightly |
| 器用 | きよう kiyou | skillful; skilful; adroit |
| 身軽 | みがる migaru | agile; nimble; light (of foot) |
| 手早い | てばやい tebayai | nimble; quick; agile |
| 敏捷 | びんしょう binshou | nimble; agile; quick |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 要素 | ようそ youso | element; component; factor |
| 素材 | そざい sozai | ingredient; (raw) material; resource |
| 素敵 | すてき suteki | lovely; wonderful; charming |
| 素人 | しろうと shirouto | amateur; layman; ordinary person |
| 素直 | すなお sunao | obedient; meek; docile |
| 酸素 | さんそ sanso | oxygen (O) |
| 早い | はやい hayai | fast; quick; rapid |
| 早期 | そうき souki | early stage |
See also: Chinese symbol for “nimble”.
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.