Japanese symbol for “cramps”
癪
しゃく
Romaji: shaku
annoyance; irritation; vexation
In Japanese, cramps is 癪, read しゃく (shaku).
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
- adj-na, n annoyance; irritation; vexation
- n abdominal spasms; convulsions; cramps
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 癇癪 | かんしゃく kanshaku | temper; irritability; fit of anger |
| 小癪 | こしゃく koshaku | impudent; cheeky |
| 癪に障る | しゃくにさわる shakunisawaru | to annoy; to irritate; to cause offence |
| 癇癪持ち | かんしゃくもち kanshakumochi | hot-tempered person |
| 癪の種 | しゃくのたね shakunotane | cause of annoyance; cause of irritation; irritant |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cramps”.
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.