Japanese symbol for “sluggish”
緩慢
かんまん
Romaji: kanman
slow; sluggish; dull; slack
In Japanese, sluggish is 緩慢, read かんまん (kanman).
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 slow; sluggish; dull; slack; inactive
- adj-na, n lax (regulation, handling, etc.); slack; sloppy
Written forms: 緩慢、緩漫. Readings: かんまん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sluggish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 低調 | ていちょう teichou | inactive; slow; sluggish |
| 重い | おもい omoi | slow; sluggish; lumbering |
| 鈍い | にぶい nibui | slow; sluggish; inert |
| 怠い | だるい darui | sluggish; languid; listless |
| もっさり | もっさり mossari | slow; sluggish; dim-witted |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 緩和 | かんわ kanwa | relief; mitigation; alleviation |
| 緩やか | ゆるやか yuruyaka | loose; slack |
| 緩い | ゆるい yurui | loose |
| 緩む | ゆるむ yurumu | to become loose; to slacken (e.g. rope) |
| 緩急 | かんきゅう kankyuu | high and low speed; fast and slow; pace |
| 我慢 | がまん gaman | endurance; patience; perseverance |
| 自慢 | じまん jiman | pride (in one's achievements, possessions, etc.); self-praise; boast |
| 慢性 | まんせい mansei | chronic (illness) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sluggish”.
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.