Japanese symbol for “play”
遊び
あそび
Romaji: asobi
play; playing; game
In Japanese, play is 遊び, read あそび (asobi).
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 play; playing; game
- n pleasure; amusement; pastime; recreation; diversion
- n play (in a mechanism, e.g. a steering wheel); slack
- n flexibility (in a performance, art, etc.); freedom
- n flyleaf
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “play”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 芝居 | しばい shibai | play; drama |
| 遊ぶ | あそぶ asobu | to play (games, sports); to enjoy oneself; to have a good time |
| 遊戯 | ゆうぎ yuugi | play; playing; game |
| 劇 | げき geki | drama; play |
| 演劇 | えんげき engeki | drama; theatre; theater |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遊ぶ | あそぶ asobu | to play (games, sports); to enjoy oneself; to have a good time |
| 遊戯 | ゆうぎ yuugi | play; playing; game |
| 浮遊 | ふゆう fuyuu | floating; drifting; suspension |
| 周遊 | しゅうゆう shuuyuu | (circular) tour; round trip; excursion |
| 外遊 | がいゆう gaiyuu | foreign travel |
See also: Chinese symbol for “play”.
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.