Japanese symbol for “whispering”
私語
しご
Romaji: shigo
whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
In Japanese, whispering is 私語, read しご (shigo).
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, vi, vs whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “whispering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 囁き | ささやき sasayaki | whispering; whisper; secret talk |
| 低語 | ていご teigo | whispering; murmuring; talking in a low voice |
| 忍び声 | しのびごえ shinobigoe | whispering |
| 忍び音 | しのびね shinobine | whispering; quiet weeping |
| 耳語 | じご jigo | whispering |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 私立 | しりつ shiritsu | private (establishment) |
| 私鉄 | してつ shitetsu | private railway |
| 私的 | してき shiteki | private; personal |
| 私物 | しぶつ shibutsu | private property; personal belongings; personal effects |
| 私生活 | しせいかつ shiseikatsu | private life |
| 私服 | しふく shifuku | ordinary clothes (i.e. non-uniform); plain clothes; civilian clothes |
| 英語 | えいご eigo | English (language) |
| 物語 | ものがたり monogatari | story; tale; narrative |
See also: Chinese symbol for “whispering”.
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.