Japanese symbol for “outline”
概要
がいよう
Romaji: gaiyou
outline; summary; overview; synopsis
In Japanese, outline is 概要, read がいよう (gaiyou).
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 outline; summary; overview; synopsis; abstract; abridgment
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “outline”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 線 | せん sen | outline; contours; form |
| 大筋 | おおすじ oosuji | outline; summary; gist |
| 要領 | ようりょう youryou | point; gist; essentials |
| 概略 | がいりゃく gairyaku | outline; summary; gist |
| 骨 | ほね hone | outline; core |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 概念 | がいねん gainen | general idea; concept; notion |
| 一概に | いちがいに ichigaini | unconditionally; as a rule |
| 概況 | がいきょう gaikyou | outlook; general situation |
| 概算 | がいさん gaisan | approximation; rough estimate; ballpark figure |
| 概略 | がいりゃく gairyaku | outline; summary; gist |
| 必要 | ひつよう hitsuyou | necessary; needed; essential |
| 重要 | じゅうよう juuyou | important; essential; significant |
| 要求 | ようきゅう youkyuu | demand; firm request; requisition |
See also: Chinese symbol for “outline”.
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.