Japanese symbol for “drum”
太鼓
たいこ
Romaji: taiko
drum
In Japanese, drum is 太鼓, read たいこ (taiko).
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
- adj-no, n drum
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “drum”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ドラム | ドラム doramu | drum; drums; drum kit |
| ドラム缶 | ドラムかん doramukan | drum (e.g. oil, gasoline); metal barrel |
| 鼓 | つづみ tsuzumi | drum (general term for struck leather percussion instruments) |
| 鮸 | にべ nibe | drum; croaker (any fish of the family Sciaenidae) |
| 教え込む | おしえこむ oshiekomu | to teach thoroughly; to instill (into); to instil |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 太陽 | たいよう taiyou | Sun |
| 太い | ふとい futoi | fat; thick |
| 太平洋 | たいへいよう taiheiyou | Pacific Ocean |
| 皇太子 | こうたいし koutaishi | crown prince |
| 太古 | たいこ taiko | ancient times; prehistoric times |
| 鼓動 | こどう kodou | beat; palpitation; pulsation |
| 鼓舞 | こぶ kobu | encouragement; inspiration; rousing |
| 鼓膜 | こまく komaku | eardrum; tympanic membrane |
See also: Chinese symbol for “drum”.
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.