Japanese symbol for “racing”
空転
くうてん
Romaji: kuuten
racing (of an engine); idling
In Japanese, racing is 空転, read くうてん (kuuten).
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, vi, vs racing (of an engine); idling
- n, vi, vs going in circles (of an argument, discussion, etc.); spinning one's wheels; going nowhere
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “racing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空回り | からまわり karamawari | racing (of an engine); idling; spinning (without grabbing; of wheels) |
| レーシング | レーシング reeshingu | racing |
| バクバク | バクバク bakubaku | pounding (of one's heart); throbbing; thumping |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空気 | くうき kuuki | air; atmosphere |
| 空港 | くうこう kuukou | airport |
| 空間 | くうかん kuukan | space; room; airspace |
| 航空 | こうくう koukuu | aviation; flying |
| 航空機 | こうくうき koukuuki | aircraft |
| 空中 | くうちゅう kuuchuu | (in) the air; midair; sky |
| 運転 | うんてん unten | operation (of a machine); running; working |
| 自転車 | じてんしゃ jitensha | bicycle; bike |
See also: Chinese symbol for “racing”.
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.