Japanese symbol for “dolphin”
海豚
いるか
Romaji: iruka
dolphin (or other small toothed whales, incl. porpoises, belugas, etc.)
In Japanese, dolphin is 海豚, read いるか (iruka).
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 dolphin (or other small toothed whales, incl. porpoises, belugas, etc.)
Written forms: 海豚. Readings: いるか、イルカ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dolphin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ドルフィン | ドルフィン dorufin | dolphin |
| マヒマヒ | マヒマヒ mahimahi | mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus); common dolphinfish; dolphin |
| いるか座 | いるかざ irukaza | Delphinus (constellation); the Dolphin |
| 鱰 | しいら shiira | mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus); common dolphinfish; dolphin |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 海岸 | かいがん kaigan | seashore; coast; seaside |
| 海軍 | かいぐん kaigun | navy; naval force |
| 北海道 | ほっかいどう hokkaidou | Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit) |
| 海上 | かいじょう kaijou | (on the) sea; surface of the sea |
| 海洋 | かいよう kaiyou | ocean; sea |
| 豚肉 | ぶたにく butaniku | pork |
| 養豚 | ようとん youton | pig-keeping; pig farming |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dolphin”.
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.