Japanese symbol for “ballad”
歌謡
かよう
Romaji: kayou
song; ballad
In Japanese, ballad is 歌謡, read かよう (kayou).
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 song; ballad
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ballad”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| バラッド | バラッド baraddo | ballad |
| バラード | バラード baraado | ballad (popular song) |
| 俚謡 | りよう riyou | ballad; folk song; popular song |
| 譚歌 | たんか tanka | ballad |
| 俗謡 | ぞくよう zokuyou | popular song; ballad; folk song |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歌手 | かしゅ kashu | singer |
| 歌う | うたう utau | to sing |
| 歌舞伎 | かぶき kabuki | kabuki; traditional form of drama and music performed by male actors wearing makeup mainly in white and red |
| 短歌 | たんか tanka | tanka; 31-mora Japanese poem |
| 歌詞 | かし kashi | song lyrics; words of a song; libretto |
| 歌声 | うたごえ utagoe | singing voice; (sound of) singing |
| 民謡 | みんよう min'you | folk song; popular song |
| 童謡 | どうよう douyou | children's song; nursery rhyme |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ballad”.
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.