Japanese symbol for “expert”
博士
はかせ
Romaji: hakase
expert; learned person
In Japanese, expert is 博士, read はかせ (hakase).
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 expert; learned person
- n, n-suf doctor; PhD; Dr.
- n instructor at the imperial court (ritsuryō period)
- n pitch and length marks (to accompany a Buddhist liturgical chant, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “expert”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 有識者 | ゆうしきしゃ yuushikisha | expert; knowledgeable person; authority (on a subject) |
| 名人 | めいじん meijin | master; expert |
| 玄人 | くろうと kurouto | expert; professional; master |
| 大家 | たいか taika | master; expert; authority |
| 通 | つう tsuu | authority; expert; connoisseur |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 博物館 | はくぶつかん hakubutsukan | museum |
| 博愛 | はくあい hakuai | charity; benevolence; philanthropy |
| 博多 | はかた hakata | Hakata (old but still commonly used name for Fukuoka) |
| 賭博 | とばく tobaku | gambling |
| 弁護士 | べんごし bengoshi | lawyer; attorney |
| 同士 | どうし doushi | fellow; mutual; companion |
| 兵士 | へいし heishi | soldier |
| 紳士 | しんし shinshi | gentleman |
See also: Chinese symbol for “expert”.
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.