Japanese symbol for “subtle”
微妙
びみょう
Romaji: bimyou
subtle; delicate; fine
In Japanese, subtle is 微妙, read びみょう (bimyou).
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, n subtle; delicate; fine
- adj-na, n difficult; complex; tricky; delicate (situation, position, etc.); close (e.g. decision)
- adj-na, n doubtful; questionable; dicey
- adj-na, n not great; iffy
- adj-na, n slightly; somewhat; a little bit
Written forms: 微妙. Readings: びみょう、ビミョー.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “subtle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 微細 | びさい bisai | minute; fine; detailed |
| 精緻 | せいち seichi | delicate; minute; fine |
| 繊細 | せんさい sensai | sensitive; delicate (feelings, sense, etc.); subtle |
| 仄か | ほのか honoka | faint; indistinct; dim |
| 味わい深い | あじわいぶかい ajiwaibukai | enlightening; deep; meaningful |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 顕微鏡 | けんびきょう kenbikyou | microscope |
| 微笑 | びしょう bishou | smile |
| 微生物 | びせいぶつ biseibutsu | microbe; germ |
| 微熱 | びねつ binetsu | slight fever |
| 微小 | びしょう bishou | microscopic |
| 奇妙 | きみょう kimyou | strange; odd; peculiar |
| 巧妙 | こうみょう koumyou | ingenious; skillful; clever |
| 絶妙 | ぜつみょう zetsumyou | exquisite; superb; perfect |
See also: Chinese symbol for “subtle”.
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.
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