Japanese symbol for “vain”
徒
あだ
Romaji: ada
vain; futile; transient; frivolous
In Japanese, vain is 徒, read あだ (ada).
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 vain; futile; transient; frivolous
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “vain”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無益 | むえき mueki | useless; futile; vain |
| 儚い | はかない hakanai | fleeting; transient; short-lived |
| 虚しい | むなしい munashii | vain; fruitless; futile |
| 味気ない | あじけない ajikenai | wearisome; insipid; dull |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 生徒 | せいと seito | pupil; student; schoolchild |
| 徒歩 | とほ toho | walking; going on foot |
| 教徒 | きょうと kyouto | believer; adherent |
| 使徒 | しと shito | apostle; disciple |
| 信徒 | しんと shinto | layman; believer; adherent |
| 学徒 | がくと gakuto | student; follower; students and pupils |
See also: Chinese symbol for “vain”.
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.