Japanese symbol for “quality”
質
しつ
Romaji: shitsu
quality; value
In Japanese, quality is 質, read しつ (shitsu).
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, n-suf quality; value
- n nature; inherent quality; character
- n logical quality
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “quality”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 品質 | ひんしつ hinshitsu | quality (of a product or a service) |
| 性質 | せいしつ seishitsu | quality; inherent characteristic; property |
| クオリティ | クオリティ kuoriti | quality |
| 優劣 | ゆうれつ yuuretsu | (relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; quality |
| 出来 | でき deki | quality (e.g. of a crop) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 質問 | しつもん shitsumon | question; inquiry; enquiry |
| 物質 | ぶっしつ busshitsu | material; substance |
| 体質 | たいしつ taishitsu | constitution (physical); physical make-up; predisposition (to disease) |
| 本質 | ほんしつ honshitsu | essence; true nature; substance |
| 品質 | ひんしつ hinshitsu | quality (of a product or a service) |
| 性質 | せいしつ seishitsu | nature (of a person); disposition; temperament |
See also: Chinese symbol for “quality”.
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.