Japanese symbol for “weakly”
弱々しい
よわよわしい
Romaji: yowayowashii
weak; weakly; feeble; frail
In Japanese, weakly is 弱々しい, read よわよわしい (yowayowashii).
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-i weak; weakly; feeble; frail; delicate; faint (voice, sunlight, etc.)
Written forms: 弱々しい、弱弱しい. Readings: よわよわしい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “weakly”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| へなへな | へなへな henahena | weakly; helplessly |
| とろとろ | とろとろ torotoro | weakly (of a flame); gently (e.g. boil); simmering |
| なよなよ | なよなよ nayonayo | delicately; weakly; gently |
| 薄ぼんやり | うすぼんやり usubon'yari | faintly; weakly; dimly |
| しょぼしょぼ | しょぼしょぼ shoboshobo | blearily; weakly (blinking) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弱い | よわい yowai | weak; frail; delicate |
| 弱点 | じゃくてん jakuten | weak point; weakness; shortcoming |
| 弱み | よわみ yowami | (a) weakness; shortcoming; failing |
| 弱気 | よわき yowaki | timid; weak-kneed; fainthearted |
| 貧弱 | ひんじゃく hinjaku | poor; meagre; meager |
| 脆弱 | ぜいじゃく zeijaku | weak; frail; fragile |
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.