Japanese symbol for “boar”
亥
い
Romaji: i
the Boar (twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Pig
In Japanese, boar is 亥, read い (i).
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 the Boar (twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Pig
- n hour of the Boar (around 10pm, 9-11pm, or 10pm to 12 midnight)
- n north-northwest
- n tenth month of the lunar calendar
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “boar”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雄豚 | おすぶた osubuta | boar |
| 種豚 | しゅとん shuton | sire pig; boar |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 戌亥 | いぬい inui | northwest |
| 亥年 | いどし idoshi | year of the Boar; year of the Pig |
| 亥の刻 | いのこく inokoku | hour of the Boar (around 10pm, 9-11pm, or 10pm to 12 midnight) |
| 亥月 | がいげつ gaigetsu | tenth month of the lunar calendar |
| 辛亥 | しんがい shingai | Metal Boar (48th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1911, 1971, 2031) |
| 丁亥 | ていがい teigai | Fire Boar (24th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1947, 2007, 2067) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “boar”.
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.