Japanese symbol for “roundabout”
遠まわし
とおまわし
Romaji: toomawashi
roundabout (e.g. expression); indirect (reference, criticism, etc.); oblique
In Japanese, roundabout is 遠まわし, read とおまわし (toomawashi).
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 roundabout (e.g. expression); indirect (reference, criticism, etc.); oblique
Written forms: 遠まわし、遠回し、遠廻し. Readings: とおまわし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “roundabout”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 婉曲 | えんきょく enkyoku | euphemistic; circumlocutory; periphrastic |
| ロータリー | ロータリー rootarii | rotary; roundabout; traffic circle |
| 迂遠 | うえん uen | roundabout; indirect; circuitous |
| 回りくどい | まわりくどい mawarikudoi | circuitous; roundabout; indirect |
| ラウンドアバウト | ラウンドアバウト raundoabauto | roundabout; traffic circle; rotary |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 永遠 | えいえん eien | eternity; perpetuity; permanence |
| 遠慮 | えんりょ enryo | reserve; constraint; restraint |
| 遠い | とおい tooi | far; distant; far away |
| 望遠鏡 | ぼうえんきょう bouenkyou | telescope |
| 遠征 | えんせい ensei | (military) expedition; campaign |
| 敬遠 | けいえん keien | pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth |
See also: Chinese symbol for “roundabout”.
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.