Japanese symbol for “contour”
輪郭
りんかく
Romaji: rinkaku
contour; outline; silhouette
In Japanese, contour is 輪郭, read りんかく (rinkaku).
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 contour; outline; silhouette
- n summary; outline; sketch
- n looks; features
Written forms: 輪郭、輪廓、輪かく. Readings: りんかく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contour”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 等高線 | とうこうせん toukousen | contour line; contour |
| コンター | コンター kontaa | contour |
| 外郭 | がいかく gaikaku | outline; contour |
| コントゥア | コントゥア kontua | contour |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 指輪 | ゆびわ yubiwa | (finger) ring |
| 五輪 | ごりん gorin | Olympic Games; Olympics |
| 車輪 | しゃりん sharin | (vehicle) wheel |
| 競輪 | けいりん keirin | keirin; cycle racing event, usu. 2 km with a paced start and sprint finish |
| 年輪 | ねんりん nenrin | annual tree ring; growth ring |
| 城郭 | じょうかく joukaku | castle; citadel; fortress |
| 外郭 | がいかく gaikaku | outer fence; outer enclosure; outer block |
| 遊郭 | ゆうかく yuukaku | (licensed) red light district |
See also: Chinese symbol for “contour”.
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.