King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “spirited”

Romaji: genki
lively; full of spirit; energetic; vigorous

In Japanese, spirited is , read (genki).

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

  1. adj-na, n lively; full of spirit; energetic; vigorous; vital; spirited
  2. adj-na, n healthy; well; fit; in good health

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

beginning, former time, origin
on: ゲン、ガン
kun: もと
4 strokes · JLPT 3
spirit, mind, air
on: キ、ケ
kun: いき、き
6 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “spirited”

WordReadingMeaning
きえい kieispirited; energetic
あかるい akaruicheerful; bright; spirited
おとこまさり otokomasari(of a woman) strong-minded; spirited; mannish
ぼつ botsuspirited; rising; energetic
ほねっぽい honeppoibony; tough; plucky

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
じもと jimotohome area; home town
じげん jigendimension
あしもと ashimotoat one's feet; underfoot; one's step (as in "watch your step")
かんげん kangenrestoration; return
てもと temotoat hand; on hand; nearby
きもち kimochifeeling; sensation; mood
にんき ninkipopularity; public favor
きぶん kibunfeeling; mood

See also: Chinese symbol for “spirited”.

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.