Japanese symbol for “bowl”
器
うつわ
Romaji: utsuwa
bowl; vessel; container
In Japanese, bowl is 器, read うつわ (utsuwa).
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 bowl; vessel; container
- n ability; capacity; calibre; caliber
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bowl”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鉢 | はち hachi | bowl; pot; basin |
| 椀 | わん wan | bowl (wooden) |
| ボウル | ボウル bouru | bowl |
| 碗 | わん wan | bowl (ceramic, porcelain) |
| 火皿 | ひざら hizara | bowl (of a pipe) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 武器 | ぶき buki | weapon; arms; ordnance |
| 兵器 | へいき heiki | arms; weapon; ordnance |
| 楽器 | がっき gakki | musical instrument |
| 核兵器 | かくへいき kakuheiki | nuclear weapon |
| 容器 | ようき youki | container; receptacle; vessel |
| 機器 | きき kiki | device; equipment; machinery |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bowl”.
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.