不屈 · Unbroken
fukutsu — “indomitable, unbending”
A spirit that bends to nothing and breaks for no one.
What it means
不屈 (fukutsu) is built from 不 (not) and 屈 (to bend or yield) — literally “never bending.” It names an indomitable spirit, the refusal to give in under pressure, and anchors the idiom 不撓不屈 (futō-fukutsu, “unyielding and indomitable”).
Be clear which kind of toughness you mean:
To endure and bear — patient strength that withstands. Quiet persistence rather than active defiance.
Refusing to break or yield — active, defiant resilience. The right choice for an unbroken, indomitable will.
Watch for
“Unbroken” invites literal mistranslations; 不屈 is the established word and reads cleanly to any Japanese eye. With two characters, confirm the order (不 then 屈) and that neither is mirrored — 屈 in particular has a lot going on and is easy to mis-stroke.
In different scripts
The character carries the meaning; the brush style carries the mood. 不屈 in three of the most common scripts:
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