Japanese symbol for “shorthanded”
手薄
てうす
Romaji: teusu
shorthanded; short of hands; undermanned
In Japanese, shorthanded is 手薄, read てうす (teusu).
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 shorthanded; short of hands; undermanned
- adj-na, n insufficient (stock, money, etc.); in short supply; low
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shorthanded”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 手不足 | てぶそく tebusoku | shorthanded; understaffed |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
| 薄い | うすい usui | thin (of an object) |
| 薄暗い | うすぐらい usugurai | dim; gloomy |
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.