Japanese symbol for “column”
列
れつ
Romaji: retsu
row; line; file; column
In Japanese, column is 列, read れつ (retsu).
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 row; line; file; column; queue; rank
- n group (of peers); ranks (of); company (of)
- n sequence (math)
- n series (taxonomic rank) (bot)
- ctr counter for rows
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “column”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 桁 | けた keta | column; beam; girder |
| 欄 | らん ran | section (e.g. in a newspaper); column; page |
| 円柱 | えんちゅう enchuu | column; shaft; cylinder |
| コラム | コラム koramu | column (e.g. in newspaper); stand-alone feature article framed by a box |
| 段 | だん dan | column (of print) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 列車 | れっしゃ ressha | train; railway train |
| 系列 | けいれつ keiretsu | series; sequence; system |
| 行列 | ぎょうれつ gyouretsu | line; queue; procession |
| 列島 | れっとう rettou | archipelago; chain of islands |
| 配列 | はいれつ hairetsu | arranging; ordering; sequencing |
| 陳列 | ちんれつ chinretsu | exhibition; display; putting on show |
See also: Chinese symbol for “column”.
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.