Japanese symbol for “unworthy”
不肖
ふしょう
Romaji: fushou
unworthy (of one's father, teacher, etc.)
In Japanese, unworthy is 不肖, read ふしょう (fushou).
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, adj-no, n unworthy (of one's father, teacher, etc.)
- pn I; me
- adj-na, adj-no, n incompetent; unskilled; inexperienced; foolish
- adj-na, n unfortunate; unlucky
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unworthy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 醜 | しこ shiko | unworthy; insignificant; humble |
| 有るまじき | あるまじき arumajiki | unworthy; unbecoming; improper |
| らしからぬ | らしからぬ rashikaranu | uncharacteristic; unbefitting; unworthy (of) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure; indistinct |
| 不安 | ふあん fuan | anxiety; uneasiness; worry |
| 不足 | ふそく fusoku | insufficiency; deficiency; shortage |
| 不満 | ふまん fuman | dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure |
| 不可能 | ふかのう fukanou | impossible |
| 不思議 | ふしぎ fushigi | wonderful; marvelous; strange |
| 肖像 | しょうぞう shouzou | portrait; likeness; picture |
| 肖る | あやかる ayakaru | to share (someone's) good luck; to follow (someone's) example; to enjoy the same benefits (of someone or something) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unworthy”.
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.