Japanese symbol for “boulder”
岩
いわ
Romaji: iwa
rock; boulder
In Japanese, boulder is 岩, read いわ (iwa).
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 rock; boulder
- n crag
Written forms: 岩、巌、磐、巖. Readings: いわ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “boulder”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 丸石 | まるいし maruishi | boulder; cobble |
| 大石 | たいせき taiseki | large stone; boulder |
| ロック | ロック rokku | rock; boulder; stone |
| ボルダー | ボルダー borudaa | boulder (esp. in free climbing) |
| 玉石 | たまいし tamaishi | pebble; round stone; boulder |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 溶岩 | ようがん yougan | lava |
| 岩盤 | がんばん ganban | bedrock |
| 岩礁 | がんしょう ganshou | reef |
| 岩屋 | いわや iwaya | cave; cavern; grotto |
| 岩石 | がんせき ganseki | rock |
| 岩山 | いわやま iwayama | rocky mountain |
See also: Chinese symbol for “boulder”.
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.