Japanese symbol for “refined”
粋
いき
Romaji: iki
chic; smart; stylish; tasteful
In Japanese, refined is 粋, read いき (iki).
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 chic; smart; stylish; tasteful; refined; sophisticated
- adj-na, n understanding; considerate; thoughtful; sensible
- adj-na, n familiar with worldly pleasures (esp. sexual relations, geisha districts and red-light districts)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “refined”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 優雅 | ゆうが yuuga | elegant; graceful; refined |
| 上品 | じょうひん jouhin | elegant; refined; polished |
| 高尚 | こうしょう koushou | high; noble; refined |
| 心憎い | こころにくい kokoronikui | refined; admirable; superb |
| 奥ゆかしい | おくゆかしい okuyukashii | refined; elegant; graceful |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 純粋 | じゅんすい junsui | pure; true; genuine |
| 抜粋 | ばっすい bassui | extract; excerpt; selection |
| 生粋 | きっすい kissui | pure; genuine; trueborn |
| 国粋 | こくすい kokusui | national characteristics |
| 無粋 | ぶすい busui | boorish; inelegant; unpolished |
| 粋人 | すいじん suijin | person of refined tastes; sophisticated person |
See also: Chinese symbol for “refined”.
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.