King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “overlap”

Romaji: awaseru
to match (rhythm, speed, etc.)

In Japanese, overlap is , read (awaseru).

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

  1. v1, vt to match (rhythm, speed, etc.)
  2. v1, vt to join together; to unite; to combine; to add up
  3. v1, vt to face; to be opposite (someone)
  4. v1, vt to compare; to check with
  5. v1, vt to cause to meet (e.g. an unpleasant fate)
  6. v1, vt to place together; to connect; to overlap

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

fit, suit, join
on: ゴウ、ガッ、カッ
kun: あ.う、-あ.う、あ.い、あい-
6 strokes · JLPT 3

Other Japanese words for “overlap”

WordReadingMeaning
かかる kakaruto overlap (e.g. information in a manual); to cover
かぶる kaburuto overlap (e.g. sound or color)
かさなる kasanaruto overlap (each other); to occur at the same time; to happen simultaneously
かさなりあう kasanariauto lie on top of each other; to overlap; to pile up
うちあわせ uchiawaseoverlap (of a coat, etc.)

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ばあい baaicase; occasion; situation
しあい shiaimatch; game; bout
そうごう sougousynthesis; combination; integration
あう auto come together; to merge; to unite
れんごう rengouunion; combination; alliance
ごうけい goukeisum total; total amount

See also: Chinese symbol for “overlap”.

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.

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