Japanese symbol for “enslavement”
奴
やっこ
Romaji: yakko
servant (esp. a samurai's attendant)
In Japanese, enslavement is 奴, read やっこ (yakko).
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 servant (esp. a samurai's attendant)
- n chivalrous man (Edo period)
- n cubed tofu (often served cold)
- n kite shaped like an Edo-period footman
- n Edo-period hairstyle worn by samurai's attendants
- n enslavement (of a woman; Edo-period punishment for her own or her husband's crime)
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奴隷 | どれい dorei | slave; servant |
| 奴ら | やつら yatsura | they; those guys |
| 売国奴 | ばいこくど baikokudo | traitor (to one's country); quisling |
| 奴等 | めら mera | pluralizing suffix |
| 彼奴 | あいつ aitsu | he; she; that guy |
| 此奴 | こいつ koitsu | he; she; this fellow |
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.