Japanese symbol for “unimaginable”
桁違い
けたちがい
Romaji: ketachigai
an order of magnitude higher; off by a digit; in a different league; unbelievable
In Japanese, unimaginable is 桁違い, read けたちがい (ketachigai).
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 an order of magnitude higher; off by a digit; in a different league; unbelievable; incomparable; unimaginable
Written forms: 桁違い、ケタ違い、けた違い. Readings: けたちがい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unimaginable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 考えられない | かんがえられない kangaerarenai | unthinkable; unimaginable |
| 想像を絶する | そうぞうをぜっする souzouozessuru | beyond imagination; unimaginable |
| 考えもつかない | かんがえもつかない kangaemotsukanai | unthinkable; unimaginable; inconceivable |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 桁外れ | けたはずれ ketahazure | incredible; extraordinary; exceptional |
| 橋桁 | はしげた hashigeta | bridge girder |
| 井桁 | いげた igeta | well curb consisting of wooden beams crossed at the ends |
| 衣桁 | いこう ikou | clothes rack |
| 一桁 | ひとけた hitoketa | one digit; one column; the "ones" column |
| 違い | ちがい chigai | difference; distinction; discrepancy |
| 間違い | まちがい machigai | mistake; error; blunder |
| 違反 | いはん ihan | violation; offense; offence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unimaginable”.
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.