Japanese symbol for “tiptoe”

つま先で歩く

つまさきであるく

Romaji: tsumasakidearuku

to tiptoe

In Japanese, tiptoe is つま先で歩く, read つまさきであるく (tsumasakidearuku).

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

exp, v5k to tiptoe

Written forms: つま先で歩く、爪先で歩く. Readings: つまさきであるく.

Kanji and stroke order

先

before, ahead, previous

on: セン
kun: さき、ま.ず

6 strokes · JLPT 4

歩

walk, counter for steps

on: ホ、ブ、フ
kun: ある.く、あゆ.む

8 strokes · JLPT 3

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
先生	せんせい sensei	teacher; instructor; master
優先	ゆうせん yuusen	preference; priority; precedence
先輩	せんぱい senpai	senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder
先日	せんじつ senjitsu	the other day; a few days ago
先週	せんしゅう senshuu	last week; the week before
先月	せんげつ sengetsu	last month
徒歩	とほ toho	walking; going on foot
散歩	さんぽ sanpo	walk; stroll

See also: Chinese symbol for “tiptoe”.

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.