Japanese symbol for “eel”
鰻
うなぎ
Romaji: unagi
eel (esp. the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica)
In Japanese, eel is 鰻, read うなぎ (unagi).
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 eel (esp. the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica)
Written forms: 鰻. Readings: うなぎ、むなぎ、ウナギ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 養鰻 | ようまん youman | eel farming; eel culture |
| 針鰻 | はりうなぎ hariunagi | elver (type of eel) |
| 八つ目鰻 | やつめうなぎ yatsumeunagi | lamprey; lamprey eel |
| 鰻屋 | うなぎや unagiya | eel restaurant |
| 鰻巻き | うまき umaki | omelette-wrapped eel; basted, roasted eel wrapped in a rolled omelette |
| 鰻筒 | うなぎづつ unagizutsu | eel trap |
See also: Chinese symbol for “eel”.
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.