Japanese symbol for “depths”
奥
おく
Romaji: oku
inner part; interior; back (of a drawer, one's throat, etc.); depths (e.g. of a forest)
In Japanese, depths is 奥, read おく (oku).
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 inner part; interior; back (of a drawer, one's throat, etc.); depths (e.g. of a forest); recesses (e.g. of a cave); heart
- n living quarters (at the back of a house); inner room
- n recesses (of one's mind); bottom (of one's heart); behind (someone's words); mysteries (of an art)
- n wife (of a person of high status)
Written forms: 奥、奧. Readings: おく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “depths”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 深層 | しんそう shinsou | depths; deep level |
| 底 | そこ soko | depths (e.g. of despair, the sea); bottom (of one's heart); the heart (of something) |
| 深み | ふかみ fukami | deep place; depths |
| 深部 | しんぶ shinbu | depths; deep part |
| 奥底 | おくそこ okusoko | depths; deep place |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奥様 | おくさま okusama | wife; your wife; his wife |
| 奥行き | おくゆき okuyuki | depth; length |
| 山奥 | やまおく yamaoku | deep in the mountains; mountain recesses |
| 奥さん | おくさん okusan | wife; your wife; his wife |
| 奥山 | おくやま okuyama | remote mountain; mountain recesses |
| 奥地 | おくち okuchi | interior; backwoods; hinterland |
See also: Chinese symbol for “depths”.
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.