Japanese symbol for “sidestep”
外す
はずす
Romaji: hazusu
to remove; to take off; to detach; to unfasten
In Japanese, sidestep is 外す, read はずす (hazusu).
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
- v5s, vt to remove; to take off; to detach; to unfasten; to undo
- v5s, vt to drop (e.g. from a team); to remove (from a position); to exclude; to expel
- v5s, vt to leave (e.g. one's seat); to go away from; to step out; to slip away
- v5s, vt to dodge (a question, blow, etc.); to evade; to sidestep; to avoid (e.g. peak season)
- v5s, vt to miss (a target, chance, punch, etc.)
- v5s, vt to get wrong; to fail to hit the mark; to misjudge
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sidestep”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| すり替える | すりかえる surikaeru | to switch (secretly); to substitute; to replace |
| 躱す | かわす kawasu | to dodge; to evade; to avoid |
| はぐらかす | はぐらかす hagurakasu | to dodge (e.g. a question); to evade; to sidestep |
| 往なす | いなす inasu | to parry; to sidestep; to dodge |
| 肩透かしを食わせる | かたすかしをくわせる katasukashiokuwaseru | to dodge (an attack, question, etc.); to sidestep; to evade |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for); apart from |
| 外交 | がいこう gaikou | diplomacy |
| 意外 | いがい igai | unexpected; surprising; unanticipated |
| 外部 | がいぶ gaibu | outside (e.g. of a building); exterior |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sidestep”.
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.