Japanese symbol for “unspeakable”
言ふ方無し
いうかたなし
Romaji: iukatanashi
unspeakable; indescribable; inexpressible
In Japanese, unspeakable is 言ふ方無し, read いうかたなし (iukatanashi).
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-ku unspeakable; indescribable; inexpressible
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unspeakable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言い知れぬ | いいしれぬ iishirenu | indescribable; inexpressible; unspeakable |
| えも言はず | えもいわず emoiwazu | indescribable (beauty, awfulness, etc.); unutterable; inexpressable |
| 言い知れない | いいしれない iishirenai | indescribable; inexpressible; unspeakable |
| 何とも言えない | なんともいえない nantomoienai | indescribable; inexpressible; unspeakable |
| 言うに言われぬ | いうにいわれぬ iuniiwarenu | beyond expression; unspeakable; inexpressible |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect |
| 発言 | はつげん hatsugen | statement; remark; observation |
| 宣言 | せんげん sengen | declaration; proclamation; announcement |
| 言語 | げんご gengo | language |
| 一言 | ひとこと hitokoto | single word; a few words; brief comment |
| 方法 | ほうほう houhou | method; way; manner |
| 一方 | いっぽう ippou | one (esp. of two); the other; one way |
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
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.