Japanese symbol for “colonel”
大佐
たいさ
Romaji: taisa
colonel; (navy) captain
In Japanese, colonel is 大佐, read たいさ (taisa).
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 colonel; (navy) captain (mil)
Written forms: 大佐. Readings: たいさ、だいさ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “colonel”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一佐 | いっさ issa | colonel (JASDF, JGSDF); captain (JMSDF) |
| 空佐 | くうさ kuusa | (Self Defense Force's Air Force) colonel (defence); lieutenant; major |
| 一等空佐 | いっとうくうさ ittoukuusa | colonel (JASDF) |
| 一等陸佐 | いっとうりくさ ittourikusa | colonel (JGSDF) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ daijoubu | safe; secure; sound |
| 大変 | たいへん taihen | very; greatly; terribly |
| 大学 | だいがく daigaku | university; college |
| 最大 | さいだい saidai | biggest; greatest; largest |
| 大会 | たいかい taikai | mass meeting; convention; rally |
| 大統領 | だいとうりょう daitouryou | president (of a country) |
| 補佐 | ほさ hosa | aid; help; assistance |
| 少佐 | しょうさ shousa | major; lieutenant commander; wing commander |
See also: Chinese symbol for “colonel”.
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.
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