Japanese symbol for “pinch”
危機
きき
Romaji: kiki
crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
In Japanese, pinch is 危機, read きき (kiki).
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 crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pinch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 少々 | しょうしょう shoushou | a little; a bit; a small amount |
| 摘む | つまむ tsumamu | to pinch; to hold (between one's fingers); to pick up (with chopsticks, tweezers, etc.) |
| ピンチ | ピンチ pinchi | pinch; tough spot; bind |
| 挟む | はさむ hasamu | to catch (e.g. a finger in a door); to trap; to pinch |
| 摘み | つまみ tsumami | a pinch (e.g. of salt) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 危険 | きけん kiken | danger; peril; hazard |
| 危惧 | きぐ kigu | apprehension; misgivings; uneasiness |
| 危ない | あぶない abunai | dangerous; risky; hazardous |
| 危うく | あやうく ayauku | barely; narrowly |
| 危うい | あやうい ayaui | dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger |
| 機能 | きのう kinou | function; facility; faculty |
| 機関 | きかん kikan | engine |
| 機会 | きかい kikai | chance; opportunity; occasion |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pinch”.
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.