Japanese symbol for “dove”
鳩
はと
Romaji: hato
pigeon; dove
In Japanese, dove is 鳩, read はと (hato).
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 pigeon; dove
Written forms: 鳩、鴿. Readings: はと、ハト.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dove”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ダブ | ダブ dabu | dove |
| ダヴ | ダヴ davu | Dove |
| 白鳩 | しろはと shirohato | dove |
| 鳩座 | はとざ hatoza | Columba (constellation); the Dove |
| 鳩ぽっぽ | はとぽっぽ hatopoppo | pigeon; dove |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 斑鳩 | いかる ikaru | Japanese grosbeak (Eophona personata) |
| 伝書鳩 | でんしょばと denshobato | carrier pigeon; homing pigeon |
| 鳩時計 | はとどけい hatodokei | cuckoo clock |
| 鳩尾 | みぞおち mizoochi | pit of the stomach; solar plexus |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dove”.
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.
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