Japanese symbol for “special”
特別
とくべつ
Romaji: tokubetsu
special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional
In Japanese, special is 特別, read とくべつ (tokubetsu).
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, adj-no, adv special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional; especial
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “special”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 特殊 | とくしゅ tokushu | special; particular; peculiar |
| 特定 | とくてい tokutei | specific; particular; designated |
| スペシャル | スペシャル supesharu | special |
| 定食 | ていしょく teishoku | set meal; special (of the day) |
| 別格 | べっかく bekkaku | special; exceptional |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 特に | とくに tokuni | particularly; especially; in particular |
| 独特 | どくとく dokutoku | peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic |
| 特徴 | とくちょう tokuchou | feature; trait; characteristic |
| 特定 | とくてい tokutei | specific; particular; designated |
| 特殊 | とくしゅ tokushu | special; particular; peculiar |
| 別に | べつに betsuni | (not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially |
| 差別 | さべつ sabetsu | distinction; differentiation; discrimination |
| 別れ | わかれ wakare | parting (of people); separation; farewell |
See also: Chinese symbol for “special”.
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.