Japanese symbol for “peek”
覗く
のぞく
Romaji: nozoku
to peek (through a keyhole, gap, etc.)
In Japanese, peek is 覗く, read のぞく (nozoku).
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
- v5k, vt to peek (through a keyhole, gap, etc.)
- v5k, vt to look down into (a ravine, etc.)
- v5k, vt to peek into (a shop, bookstore, etc.)
- v5k, vt to sneak a look at; to take a quick look at
- v5k, vt to peep (through a telescope, microscope, etc.)
- v5k, vi to stick out (a scarf from a collar, etc.); to peek through (sky through a forest canopy, etc.)
Written forms: 覗く、覘く、窺く、臨く. Readings: のぞく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “peek”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ピーク | ピーク piiku | peek |
| 窺う | うかがう ukagau | to peep (through); to peek; to examine (esp. covertly) |
| 覗き見 | のぞきみ nozokimi | peek; peeping; peeking |
| 覗き見る | のぞきみる nozokimiru | to peek; to peep |
| 差し覗く | さしのぞく sashinozoku | to look (into); to peek; to peep |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 覗き | のぞき nozoki | peep; peeping |
| 覗き見 | のぞきみ nozokimi | peek; peeping; peeking |
| 覗き込む | のぞきこむ nozokikomu | to look into; to peep into; to peer into |
| 覗き魔 | のぞきま nozokima | peeping Tom |
| 覗き眼鏡 | のぞきめがね nozokimegane | peep show; device with lens mounted on a stand or in a box to view enlarged pictures |
See also: Chinese symbol for “peek”.
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.