Japanese symbol for “beast”
獣
けもの
Romaji: kemono
beast; brute; animal
In Japanese, beast is 獣, read けもの (kemono).
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 beast; brute; animal
- n animal with human characteristics
Written forms: 獣. Readings: けもの、けだもの、じゅう、ケモノ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “beast”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ビースト | ビースト biisuto | beast |
| 畜生 | ちくしょう chikushou | beast; animal |
| 人でなし | ひとでなし hitodenashi | brute; beast; monster |
| 人非人 | にんぴにん ninpinin | inhuman person; fiend; beast |
| 禽獣 | きんじゅう kinjuu | birds and beasts; beast; brute |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 野獣 | やじゅう yajuu | wild beast; wild animal; brute |
| 怪獣 | かいじゅう kaijuu | monster |
| 獣医 | じゅうい juui | veterinarian; veterinary surgeon; vet |
| 猛獣 | もうじゅう moujuu | fierce animal; beast of prey; big game |
| 鳥獣 | ちょうじゅう choujuu | birds and wild animals; wildlife |
| 珍獣 | ちんじゅう chinjuu | rare (or peculiar) animal |
See also: Chinese symbol for “beast”.
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.
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