Japanese symbol for “squarely”
堂々
どうどう
Romaji: doudou
magnificent; grand; impressive; dignified
In Japanese, squarely is 堂々, read どうどう (doudou).
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-t, adv-to magnificent; grand; impressive; dignified; majestic; imposing
- adj-t, adv-to fair; square; open; unashamed; brazen
- adv-to grandly; boldly; confidently
- adv-to fairly; squarely; unreservedly; brazenly
Written forms: 堂々、堂堂. Readings: どうどう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “squarely”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真っ向から | まっこうから makkoukara | head-on; to one's face; squarely |
| 正面切って | しょうめんきって shoumenkitte | openly; squarely; directly |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食堂 | しょくどう shokudou | dining room; dining hall; cafeteria |
| 講堂 | こうどう koudou | auditorium; lecture hall |
| 聖堂 | せいどう seidou | (Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary |
| 殿堂 | でんどう dendou | palace; hall |
| 議事堂 | ぎじどう gijidou | assembly hall; parliament house; diet building |
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.