Japanese symbol for “bur”
毬
いが
Romaji: iga
burr (e.g. chestnut); bur; cupule; case
In Japanese, bur is 毬, read いが (iga).
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 burr (e.g. chestnut); bur; cupule; case (bot)
Written forms: 毬、梂. Readings: いが.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bur”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| くっつき虫 | くっつきむし kuttsukimushi | bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr |
| ひっつき虫 | ひっつきむし hittsukimushi | bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr |
| イガイガ | イガイガ igaiga | bur (of a chestnut, etc.); burr |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 手毬 | てまり temari | traditional Japanese handball (game) |
| 毬藻 | まりも marimo | marimo (variety of algae, Cladophora aegagropila); round green algae; Cladophora ball |
| 小手毬 | こでまり kodemari | Reeve's spirea (Spiraea cantoniensis); May bush |
| 毬投げ | まりなげ marinage | playing catch |
| 毬栗 | いがぐり igaguri | chestnut in its burr |
| 手毬花 | てまりばな temaribana | temaribana; Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum) |
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.