Japanese symbol for “catastrophe”
破局
はきょく
Romaji: hakyoku
catastrophe; cataclysm
In Japanese, catastrophe is 破局, read はきょく (hakyoku).
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 catastrophe; cataclysm
- n, vi, vs collapse (of a relationship); breakup; split (friends, lovers, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “catastrophe”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 惨禍 | さんか sanka | calamity; disaster; catastrophe |
| 凶変 | きょうへん kyouhen | catastrophe; assassination; calamity |
| 災禍 | さいか saika | disaster; accident; calamity |
| カタストロフィー | カタストロフィー katasutorofii | catastrophe |
| 大惨事 | だいさんじ daisanji | great disaster; catastrophe; train wreck |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 破壊 | はかい hakai | destruction; disruption |
| 突破 | とっぱ toppa | breaking through; breakthrough; penetration |
| 破産 | はさん hasan | bankruptcy; insolvency |
| 破る | やぶる yaburu | to tear; to rip; to break |
| 破損 | はそん hason | damage; breakage |
| 破片 | はへん hahen | fragment; broken piece; splinter |
| 結局 | けっきょく kekkyoku | after all; in the end; ultimately |
| 当局 | とうきょく toukyoku | authorities; relevant authorities; authorities concerned |
See also: Chinese symbol for “catastrophe”.
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.