Japanese symbol for “deformed”
片端
かたわ
Romaji: katawa
crippled; deformed
In Japanese, deformed is 片端, read かたわ (katawa).
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 crippled; deformed
- adj-na, n imperfect; incomplete
- adj-na, n one wheel
Written forms: 片端、片輪. Readings: かたわ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 片手 | かたて katate | one hand |
| 片方 | かたほう katahou | one side; one party; the other side |
| 破片 | はへん hahen | fragment; broken piece; splinter |
| 片道 | かたみち katamichi | one-way (trip) |
| 断片 | だんぺん danpen | fragment; scrap; piece |
| 片側 | かたがわ katagawa | one side |
| 極端 | きょくたん kyokutan | extreme; extremity |
| 先端 | せんたん sentan | pointed end; tip; point |
See also: Chinese symbol for “deformed”.
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.