Japanese symbol for “dormitory”
寮
りょう
Romaji: ryou
hostel; dormitory
In Japanese, dormitory is 寮, read りょう (ryou).
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 hostel; dormitory
- n bureau (government department beneath a ministry under the ritsuryō system)
- n tea-ceremony room
- n villa
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dormitory”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 寄宿舎 | きしゅくしゃ kishukusha | boarding house; residence hall; dormitory |
| 舎 | しゃ sha | boarding house; residence hall; dormitory |
| 寮舎 | りょうしゃ ryousha | dormitory |
| 学寮 | がくりょう gakuryou | student hostel; hall of residence; dormitory |
| 寄宿 | きしゅく kishuku | boarding house; residence hall; dormitory |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 寮生 | りょうせい ryousei | boarder; boarding student |
| 寮母 | りょうぼ ryoubo | housemother; dorm mother |
| 寮費 | りょうひ ryouhi | boarding expenses (for staying at a dormitory); lodging charge |
| 全寮 | ぜんりょう zenryou | whole dormitory; every dormitory |
| 寮長 | りょうちょう ryouchou | dormitory leader; dormitory superintendent |
| 入寮 | にゅうりょう nyuuryou | moving into a dormitory |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dormitory”.
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.