Japanese symbol for “smattering”
片言
かたこと
Romaji: katakoto
prattle; broken language; halting language; baby talk
In Japanese, smattering is 片言, read かたこと (katakoto).
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-no, n prattle; broken language; halting language; baby talk; imperfect speech; smattering
Written forms: 片言. Readings: かたこと、カタコト.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “smattering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 半可通 | はんかつう hankatsuu | superficial knowledge; smattering (of) |
| 生噛じり | なまかじり namakajiri | superficial knowledge; smattering |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 片手 | かたて katate | one hand |
| 片方 | かたほう katahou | one side; one party; the other side |
| 破片 | はへん hahen | fragment; broken piece; splinter |
| 片道 | かたみち katamichi | one-way (trip) |
| 断片 | だんぺん danpen | fragment; scrap; piece |
| 片側 | かたがわ katagawa | one side |
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect |
See also: Chinese symbol for “smattering”.
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.