Japanese symbol for “notch”
刻み
きざみ
Romaji: kizami
mincing; cutting; chopping; notch
In Japanese, notch is 刻み, read きざみ (kizami).
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 mincing; cutting; chopping; notch; nick
- n rapping (a percussion instrument); beating
- n shredded tobacco
- suf interval
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “notch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 切り込み | きりこみ kirikomi | cut; notch |
| ノッチ | ノッチ notchi | notch |
| 刻む | きざむ kizamu | to carve; to engrave; to chisel |
| 切れ込み | きれこみ kirekomi | cut; notch; incision |
| 刻み目 | きざみめ kizamime | notch; nick; marks on a ruler |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 深刻 | しんこく shinkoku | serious; severe; grave |
| 時刻 | じこく jikoku | time; (the) hour |
| 彫刻 | ちょうこく choukoku | carving; engraving; sculpture |
| 遅刻 | ちこく chikoku | lateness; tardiness; arriving late |
| 刻む | きざむ kizamu | to mince; to cut fine; to chop up |
| 一刻 | いっこく ikkoku | a moment; a minute; an instant |
See also: Chinese symbol for “notch”.
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.