Japanese symbol for “secret”
秘密
ひみつ
Romaji: himitsu
secret; secrecy; confidentiality; privacy
In Japanese, secret is 秘密, read ひみつ (himitsu).
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, adj-no, n secret; secrecy; confidentiality; privacy
- n mystery
- n secret (e.g. to success)
- n esoteric teachings (Buddh)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “secret”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 秘訣 | ひけつ hiketsu | secret (method, trick, etc.); key (e.g. to success); mysteries (of an art, trade, etc.) |
| 神秘 | しんぴ shinpi | mystery; mysteriousness; secret |
| 隠密 | おんみつ onmitsu | secret; clandestine; covert |
| 密か | ひそか hisoka | secret; private; surreptitious |
| 非公開 | ひこうかい hikoukai | private; non-public; secret |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 秘書 | ひしょ hisho | (private) secretary |
| 極秘 | ごくひ gokuhi | absolute secrecy |
| 神秘 | しんぴ shinpi | mystery; mysteriousness; secret |
| 便秘 | べんぴ benpi | constipation |
| 秘訣 | ひけつ hiketsu | secret (method, trick, etc.); key (e.g. to success); mysteries (of an art, trade, etc.) |
| 密度 | みつど mitsudo | density |
| 精密 | せいみつ seimitsu | precise; exact; detailed |
| 密接 | みっせつ missetsu | close (relationship, connection, etc.); intimate; near |
See also: Chinese symbol for “secret”.
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.