Japanese symbol for “cartilage”
軟骨
なんこつ
Romaji: nankotsu
cartilage
In Japanese, cartilage is 軟骨, read なんこつ (nankotsu).
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 cartilage (anat)
- n nankotsu; (dish of) gristle (usu. of chicken, deep-fried) (food)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cartilage”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 筋骨 | きんこつ kinkotsu | cartilage |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 柔軟 | じゅうなん juunan | flexible; lithe; soft |
| 軟弱 | なんじゃく nanjaku | soft and lacking firmness; weak; fragile |
| 軟化 | なんか nanka | softening |
| 軟式 | なんしき nanshiki | soft (esp. of softball, tennis, etc.) |
| 軟禁 | なんきん nankin | house arrest |
| 骨折 | こっせつ kossetsu | bone fracture |
| 露骨 | ろこつ rokotsu | open; unconcealed; undisguised |
| 鉄骨 | てっこつ tekkotsu | steel frame; steel beam; steel girder |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cartilage”.
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.