Japanese symbol for “tether”
絆
きずな
Romaji: kizuna
bond (between people); (emotional) ties; bonds; relationship
In Japanese, tether is 絆, read きずな (kizuna).
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
- n bond (between people); (emotional) ties; bonds; relationship; connection; link
- n tether; fetters
Written forms: 絆、紲. Readings: きずな、きづな.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tether”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| テザー | テザー tezaa | tether |
| 首綱 | くびづな kubizuna | leash; tether |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 絆創膏 | ばんそうこう bansoukou | adhesive bandage; sticking plaster; band-aid |
| 脚絆 | きゃはん kyahan | gaiters; leggings |
| 羈絆 | きはん kihan | fetters; shackles; restraints |
| 絆される | ほだされる hodasareru | to be bound (by feelings); to be fettered (by); to be overcome (by) |
| 絆す | ほだす hodasu | to fetter; to shackle; to bind |
| 巻き脚絆 | まききゃはん makikyahan | puttee |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tether”.
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.