King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “timid”

Romaji: yowaki
timid; weak-kneed; fainthearted

In Japanese, timid is , read (yowaki).

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

  1. adj-na, adj-no, n timid; weak-kneed; fainthearted
  2. adj-na, adj-no, n bearish (stockm)

Kanji and stroke order

weak, frail
on: ジャク
kun: よわ.い、よわ.る、よわ.まる、よわ.める
10 strokes · JLPT 3
spirit, mind, air
on: キ、ケ
kun: いき、き
6 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “timid”

WordReadingMeaning
きよわ kiyowatimid; fainthearted
うちき uchikishy; bashful; timid
おくびょう okubyoucowardly; timid; easily frightened
ふがいない fugainaigood-for-nothing; spineless; gutless
きがちいさい kigachiisaitimid; faint-hearted; wimpish

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
よわい yowaiweak; frail; delicate
じゃくてん jakutenweak point; weakness; shortcoming
よわみ yowami(a) weakness; shortcoming; failing
ひんじゃく hinjakupoor; meagre; meager
ぜいじゃく zeijakuweak; frail; fragile
きもち kimochifeeling; sensation; mood
にんき ninkipopularity; public favor
きぶん kibunfeeling; mood

See also: Chinese symbol for “timid”.

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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