Japanese symbol for “pliable”
柔軟
じゅうなん
Romaji: juunan
flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
In Japanese, pliable is 柔軟, read じゅうなん (juunan).
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, n flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
- n calisthenics
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pliable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 撓やか | たわやか tawayaka | flexible; pliant; pliable |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 柔道 | じゅうどう juudou | judo |
| 柔らかい | やわらかい yawarakai | soft; tender; supple |
| 柔らか | やわらか yawaraka | soft; tender; pliant |
| 優柔不断 | ゆうじゅうふだん yuujuufudan | indecisive; irresolute; shilly-shally |
| 柔和 | にゅうわ nyuuwa | gentle; mild; meek |
| 軟弱 | なんじゃく nanjaku | soft and lacking firmness; weak; fragile |
| 軟骨 | なんこつ nankotsu | cartilage |
| 軟化 | なんか nanka | softening |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pliable”.
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.