Japanese symbol for “deer”
鹿
しか
Romaji: shika
deer (esp. the sika deer, Cervus nippon); cervid
In Japanese, deer is 鹿, read しか (shika).
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 deer (esp. the sika deer, Cervus nippon); cervid
Written forms: 鹿. Readings: しか、シカ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “deer”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ディア | ディア dia | deer |
| 鹿子 | かこ kako | deer; fawn |
| 紅葉鳥 | もみじどり momijidori | deer |
| 蜾蠃 | すがる sugaru | deer |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 馬鹿 | ばか baka | idiot; moron; fool |
| 鹿児島 | かごしま kagoshima | Kagoshima (city, prefecture) |
| 牡鹿 | おじか ojika | buck (male deer) |
| 小馬鹿 | こばか kobaka | fool; person beneath one's contempt |
| 大鹿 | おおじか oojika | large deer |
| 馬鹿力 | ばかぢから bakajikara | great physical power; animal strength |
See also: Chinese symbol for “deer”.
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.