Japanese symbol for “vulnerable”
危急
ききゅう
Romaji: kikyuu
emergency; crisis; imminent danger
In Japanese, vulnerable is 危急, read ききゅう (kikyuu).
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
- n emergency; crisis; imminent danger
- n Vulnerable (conservation status); VU
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “vulnerable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無防備 | むぼうび muboubi | defenseless; defenceless; unprotected |
| 受けやすい | うけやすい ukeyasui | susceptible; vulnerable; prone (to) |
| 脇が甘い | わきがあまい wakigaamai | having weak defenses; off one's guard; vulnerable (to attack) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 危険 | きけん kiken | danger; peril; hazard |
| 危機 | きき kiki | crisis; critical situation; emergency |
| 危惧 | きぐ kigu | apprehension; misgivings; uneasiness |
| 危ない | あぶない abunai | dangerous; risky; hazardous |
| 危うく | あやうく ayauku | barely; narrowly |
| 危うい | あやうい ayaui | dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger |
| 緊急 | きんきゅう kinkyuu | urgency; emergency |
| 急速 | きゅうそく kyuusoku | rapid (e.g. progress) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “vulnerable”.
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.