Japanese symbol for “debris”
瓦礫
がれき
Romaji: gareki
rubble; debris; wreckage; tiles and pebbles
In Japanese, debris is 瓦礫, read がれき (gareki).
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 rubble; debris; wreckage; tiles and pebbles
- n trash; rubbish
Written forms: 瓦礫. Readings: がれき、がりゃく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “debris”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 残骸 | ざんがい zangai | ruins; wreckage; wreck |
| デブリ | デブリ deburi | debris |
| 砕片 | さいへん saihen | debris |
| 岩屑 | がんせつ gansetsu | detritus; debris |
| 廃石 | はいせき haiseki | mullock (waste rock from a mine); muck; debris |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 瓦斯 | ガス gasu | gas (as a fuel) |
| 瓦解 | がかい gakai | collapse; downfall |
| 煉瓦 | れんが renga | brick |
| 青瓦台 | せいがだい seigadai | Blue House (official residence of the president of South Korea); Cheong Wa Dae |
| 鬼瓦 | おにがわら onigawara | decorative ridge-end tile (traditionally bearing the face of a demon and resembling a gargoyle) |
| 砂礫 | されき sareki | pebbles |
| 紙礫 | かみつぶて kamitsubute | paper pellet; spitball |
| 梨の礫 | なしのつぶて nashinotsubute | not getting a reply |
See also: Chinese symbol for “debris”.
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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