Japanese symbol for “surly”
無愛想
ぶあいそう
Romaji: buaisou
unsociable; unfriendly; blunt; surly
In Japanese, surly is 無愛想, read ぶあいそう (buaisou).
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 unsociable; unfriendly; blunt; surly; curt; cold
Written forms: 無愛想、不愛想. Readings: ぶあいそう、ぶあいそ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “surly”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冷ややか | ひややか hiyayaka | cold (attitude, stare, etc.); frigid; indifferent |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 無事 | ぶじ buji | safety; security; peace |
| 無駄 | むだ muda | futility; waste; uselessness |
| 無線 | むせん musen | radio (communication) |
| 無理やり | むりやり muriyari | forcibly; by force; against one's will |
| 恋愛 | れんあい ren'ai | love; romance; tender passion |
| 愛情 | あいじょう aijou | love; affection |
| 予想 | よそう yosou | expectation; anticipation; prediction |
See also: Chinese symbol for “surly”.
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.