Japanese symbol for “persistent”
執拗
しつよう
Romaji: shitsuyou
persistent; obstinate; tenacious; relentless
In Japanese, persistent is 執拗, read しつよう (shitsuyou).
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-na persistent; obstinate; tenacious; relentless; insistent; importunate
Written forms: 執拗、執よう. Readings: しつよう、しつおう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “persistent”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不断 | ふだん fudan | constant; persistent; unremitting |
| 頑強 | がんきょう gankyou | stubborn; dogged; persistent |
| 粘り強い | ねばりづよい nebarizuyoi | tenacious; persevering; persistent |
| ねちっこい | ねちっこい nechikkoi | persistent; obstinate; stubborn |
| 執念深い | しゅうねんぶかい shuunenbukai | tenacious; persistent; stubborn |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 執行 | しっこう shikkou | execution; carrying out; performance |
| 執筆 | しっぴつ shippitsu | writing; authoring |
| 執念 | しゅうねん shuunen | tenacity; persistence; obsession |
| 執着 | しゅうちゃく shuuchaku | attachment; adhesion; insistence |
| 確執 | かくしつ kakushitsu | discord; antagonism |
| 執務 | しつむ shitsumu | performance of one's official duties |
| 拗れ | こじれ kojire | complications; tangle |
| 拗ねる | すねる suneru | to be peevish; to sulk; to pout |
See also: Chinese symbol for “persistent”.
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.