Japanese symbol for “disability”
障害
しょうがい
Romaji: shougai
obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier
In Japanese, disability is 障害, read しょうがい (shougai).
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, vs, vt obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier; difficulty
- n disability; handicap; impairment; dysfunction; disorder; defect
- n steeplechase (horse)
- n obstacle race; steeplechase (athletics)
Written forms: 障害、障がい、障碍、障礙. Readings: しょうがい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “disability”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不自由 | ふじゆう fujiyuu | inability; disability; impairment (physical, mental, etc.) |
| 無能力 | むのうりょく munouryoku | incompetence; inability; disability |
| 不具 | ふぐ fugu | deformity; distortion; disability |
| 廃疾 | はいしつ haishitsu | disablement; disability |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 故障 | こしょう koshou | fault; trouble; breakdown |
| 支障 | ししょう shishou | obstacle; hindrance; impediment |
| 障壁 | しょうへき shouheki | enclosing wall; boundary fence |
| 障子 | しょうじ shouji | shoji (paper sliding door) |
| 耳障り | みみざわり mimizawari | hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping |
| 被害 | ひがい higai | (suffering) damage; injury; harm |
| 災害 | さいがい saigai | calamity; disaster; misfortune |
| 損害 | そんがい songai | damage; injury; loss |
See also: Chinese symbol for “disability”.
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.