Japanese symbol for “elephant”
象
ぞう
Romaji: zou
elephant (Elephantidae spp.)
In Japanese, elephant is 象, read ぞう (zou).
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 elephant (Elephantidae spp.)
Written forms: 象. Readings: ぞう、ゾウ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “elephant”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| エレファント | エレファント erefanto | elephant |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 対象 | たいしょう taishou | target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.) |
| 印象 | いんしょう inshou | impression |
| 現象 | げんしょう genshou | phenomenon |
| 象徴 | しょうちょう shouchou | symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation |
| 気象 | きしょう kishou | weather (conditions) |
| 気象庁 | きしょうちょう kishouchou | (Japanese) Meteorological Agency; JMA |
See also: Chinese symbol for “elephant”.
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.