Japanese symbol for “tangle”
縺れる
もつれる
Romaji: motsureru
to tangle; to get tangled; to get entangled
In Japanese, tangle is 縺れる, read もつれる (motsureru).
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
- v1, vi to tangle; to get tangled; to get entangled
- v1, vi to have poor control over (one's tongue, feet, etc.); to trip over
- v1, vi to become complicated; to become difficult; to become tricky; to get into a tangle; to become messy
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tangle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 縺れ | もつれ motsure | tangle; entanglement; snarl |
| いざこざ | いざこざ izakoza | trouble; quarrel; difficulties |
| 拗れ | こじれ kojire | complications; tangle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 縺れ | もつれ motsure | tangle; entanglement; snarl |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tangle”.
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.