Japanese symbol for “skilful”
器用
きよう
Romaji: kiyou
skillful; skilful; adroit; dexterous
In Japanese, skilful is 器用, read きよう (kiyou).
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 skillful; skilful; adroit; dexterous; dextrous; deft
- adj-na, n clever; shrewd; ingenious
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “skilful”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上手い | うまい umai | skillful; skilful; skilled |
| スマート | スマート sumaato | skilful; slick; clever |
| 鮮やか | あざやか azayaka | skillful; skilful; adroit |
| 腕がいい | うでがいい udegaii | skilled; skillful; skilful |
| 腕のいい | うでのいい udenoii | skilled; skillful; skilful |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 武器 | ぶき buki | weapon; arms; ordnance |
| 兵器 | へいき heiki | arms; weapon; ordnance |
| 楽器 | がっき gakki | musical instrument |
| 核兵器 | かくへいき kakuheiki | nuclear weapon |
| 容器 | ようき youki | container; receptacle; vessel |
| 機器 | きき kiki | device; equipment; machinery |
| 使用 | しよう shiyou | use; application; employment |
| 利用 | りよう riyou | use; utilization; utilisation |
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.