Japanese symbol for “tenuous”
希薄
きはく
Romaji: kihaku
thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute; sparse (population)
In Japanese, tenuous is 希薄, read きはく (kihaku).
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 thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute; sparse (population); rarefied
- adj-na, n lacking (enthusiasm, consideration, substance, etc.); insubstantial; deficient; tenuous (link)
Written forms: 希薄、稀薄. Readings: きはく.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 希望 | きぼう kibou | hope; wish; aspiration |
| 希少 | きしょう kishou | scarce; rare |
| 希求 | ききゅう kikyuu | longing; strong desire; aspiration |
| 古希 | こき koki | 70th birthday |
| 希釈 | きしゃく kishaku | dilution |
| 薄い | うすい usui | thin (of an object) |
| 薄暗い | うすぐらい usugurai | dim; gloomy |
| 軽薄 | けいはく keihaku | frivolous; flippant; superficial |
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.