Japanese symbol for “vie”
競う
きそう
Romaji: kisou
to compete; to contend; to vie; to contest
In Japanese, vie is 競う, read きそう (kisou).
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
- v5u, vi to compete; to contend; to vie; to contest
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “vie”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 戦わす | たたかわす tatakawasu | to compete; to vie; to contend |
| 競ふ | きおう kiou | to compete; to contend; to vie |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 競技 | きょうぎ kyougi | game; match; contest |
| 競争 | きょうそう kyousou | competition; contest; rivalry |
| 競馬 | けいば keiba | horse racing |
| 競走 | きょうそう kyousou | race; run; dash |
| 競合 | きょうごう kyougou | contention; competition; rivalry |
See also: Chinese symbol for “vie”.
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.