Japanese symbol for “stumble”
躓く
つまずく
Romaji: tsumazuku
to trip (over); to stumble
In Japanese, stumble is 躓く, read つまずく (tsumazuku).
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, vi to trip (over); to stumble
- v5k, vi to fail; to suffer a setback
Written forms: 躓く. Readings: つまずく、つまづく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “stumble”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蹴躓く | けつまずく ketsumazuku | to stumble (over); to trip |
| 蹌踉めく | よろめく yoromeku | to stagger; to stumble; to totter |
| 蹌踉ける | よろける yorokeru | to stagger; to stumble |
| 蹌踉つく | よろつく yorotsuku | to stagger; to stumble; to totter |
| 足がもつれる | あしがもつれる ashigamotsureru | to trip (over one's own feet); to stumble |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 躓き | つまずき tsumazuki | stumbling |
| 蹴躓く | けつまずく ketsumazuku | to stumble (over); to trip |
See also: Chinese symbol for “stumble”.
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.