King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “cap”

Romaji: boushi
hat; cap

In Japanese, cap is , read (boushi).

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

  1. n hat; cap
  2. n, vi, vs cap (move) (go)

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

cap, headgear
on: ボウ、モウ
kun: ずきん、おお.う
12 strokes · JLPT 2
child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
on: シ、ス、ツ
kun: こ、-こ、ね
3 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “cap”

WordReadingMeaning
ふた futacover; lid; cap
キャップ kyappucap (hat)
くちがね kuchigane(metal) cap
ずきん zukinheadgear (esp. one made of cloth); hood; kerchief
ぼう bouhat; cap

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
だつぼう datsubouremoving one's hat
えぼし eboshieboshi; black-lacquered headgear made of silk, cloth or paper, originally worn by court nobles in ancient Japan
あかぼう akaboured cap
せいぼう seibouregulation cap; school cap
かくぼう kakuboumortarboard; trencher
こども kodomochild; children
じょし joshiwoman; girl
おんなのこ onnanokogirl; daughter; baby girl

See also: Chinese symbol for “cap”.

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.