Japanese symbol for “assassin”
刺客
しかく
Romaji: shikaku
assassin
In Japanese, assassin is 刺客, read しかく (shikaku).
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 assassin
- n candidate fielded by a political party to oust an incumbent of the same party
Written forms: 刺客. Readings: しかく、しきゃく、せっかく、せきかく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “assassin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 凶手 | きょうしゅ kyoushu | assassin |
| 暗殺者 | あんさつしゃ ansatsusha | assassin |
| アサシン | アサシン asashin | assassin |
| 人斬り | ひときり hitokiri | assassination; assassin |
| 凶漢 | きょうかん kyoukan | villain; outlaw; assassin |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺激 | しげき shigeki | stimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes) |
| 名刺 | めいし meishi | business card |
| 刺身 | さしみ sashimi | sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans) |
| 風刺 | ふうし fuushi | satire; irony; sarcasm |
| 刺す | さす sasu | to pierce; to stab; to prick |
| 刺さる | ささる sasaru | to stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce |
| 顧客 | こきゃく kokyaku | customer; client; patron |
| 観客 | かんきゃく kankyaku | spectator; audience |
See also: Chinese symbol for “assassin”.
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.