Japanese symbol for “tinkering”
手直し
てなおし
Romaji: tenaoshi
adjustment; tweaking; improvement; modification
In Japanese, tinkering is 手直し, read てなおし (tenaoshi).
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, vs, vt adjustment; tweaking; improvement; modification; tinkering; minor alteration
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tinkering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鋳掛け | いかけ ikake | tinkering; mending pots, pans, kettles |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
| 直接 | ちょくせつ chokusetsu | direct; immediate; personal |
| 正直 | しょうじき shoujiki | honest; frank; candid |
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.