Japanese symbol for “polish”
磨き
みがき
Romaji: migaki
polish; burnishing
In Japanese, polish is 磨き, read みがき (migaki).
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 polish; burnishing
- n improvement; becoming more skilled
Written forms: 磨き、研き. Readings: みがき.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “polish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 琢磨 | たくま takuma | polish (jewels); cultivation |
| 艶 | つや tsuya | gloss; luster; lustre |
| 磨く | みがく migaku | to polish; to shine; to burnish |
| 洗練 | せんれん senren | refinement; polish |
| 研ぎ | とぎ togi | polish; grinding; sharpening |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歯磨き | はみがき hamigaki | dental brushing; brushing one's teeth |
| 研磨 | けんま kenma | grinding; polishing |
| 琢磨 | たくま takuma | polish (jewels); cultivation |
| 達磨 | だるま daruma | daruma; tumbling doll; round, red-painted good-luck doll in the shape of Bodhidharma, with a blank eye to be completed when a person's wish is granted |
| 切磋琢磨 | せっさたくま sessatakuma | diligent application (to work or study); cultivating one's character by studying hard |
See also: Chinese symbol for “polish”.
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.