Japanese symbol for “body”
体
からだ
Romaji: karada
body
In Japanese, body is 体, read からだ (karada).
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 body
- n torso; trunk
- n build; physique; frame; figure
- n health; constitution
Written forms: 体、身体、躯、躰. Readings: からだ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “body”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遺体 | いたい itai | (dead) body; corpse; remains |
| 肉体 | にくたい nikutai | the body; the flesh; the outer man |
| 車体 | しゃたい shatai | body (of car); frame |
| 本文 | ほんぶん honbun | text (of a book, document, etc.); body (of a letter) |
| 身体 | しんたい shintai | body; physical system; (the) person |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 全体 | ぜんたい zentai | whole; entirety |
| 団体 | だんたい dantai | group; party; team |
| 体験 | たいけん taiken | (practical) experience; personal experience; hands-on experience |
| 一体 | いったい ittai | (what) the heck; (why) in the world; (who) on earth |
| 体制 | たいせい taisei | order; system; structure |
| 体重 | たいじゅう taijuu | (body) weight |
See also: Chinese symbol for “body”.
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.