Japanese symbol for “solve”
解く
とく
Romaji: toku
to untie; to unfasten; to unwrap; to undo
In Japanese, solve is 解く, read とく (toku).
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
- v5k, vt to untie; to unfasten; to unwrap; to undo; to unbind; to unpack
- v5k, vt to unsew; to unstitch
- v5k, vt to solve; to work out; to answer
- v5k, vt to dispel (misunderstanding, etc.); to clear up; to remove (suspicion); to appease
- v5k, vt to dissolve (a contract); to cancel; to remove (a prohibition); to lift (a ban); to raise (a siege)
- v5k, vt to release (from duty); to relieve; to dismiss
Written forms: 解く、梳く. Readings: とく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “solve”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 片付ける | かたづける katazukeru | to settle (a matter); to solve; to deal with |
| 解き明かす | ときあかす tokiakasu | to uncover; to solve; to reveal |
| 判じる | はんじる hanjiru | to solve; to decipher; to puzzle out |
| 判ずる | はんずる hanzuru | to solve; to decipher; to puzzle out |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理解 | りかい rikai | understanding; comprehension; appreciation |
| 解決 | かいけつ kaiketsu | settlement; solution; resolution |
| 解説 | かいせつ kaisetsu | explanation; commentary; exposition |
| 解散 | かいさん kaisan | breaking up (a meeting, gathering, etc.); dispersal (e.g. of a crowd) |
| 解放 | かいほう kaihou | release; unleashing; liberation |
| 解除 | かいじょ kaijo | termination (of a contract); cancellation; rescinding |
See also: Chinese symbol for “solve”.
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.