Japanese symbol for “flounder”
平目
ひらめ
Romaji: hirame
flounder (esp. the large-tooth flounders of family Paralichthyidae, but also lefteye flounders of family Bothidae)
In Japanese, flounder is 平目, read ひらめ (hirame).
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 flounder (esp. the large-tooth flounders of family Paralichthyidae, but also lefteye flounders of family Bothidae)
- n bastard halibut; olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)
- n person who sucks up to superiors; toady
Written forms: 平目、鮃、比目魚. Readings: ひらめ、ヒラメ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “flounder”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 足掻く | あがく agaku | to struggle (using one's arms and legs); to flounder; to flail about |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 平和 | へいわ heiwa | peace; harmony |
| 平均 | へいきん heikin | average; mean |
| 平成 | へいせい heisei | Heisei era (1989.1.8-2019.4.30) |
| 平日 | へいじつ heijitsu | weekday; ordinary days (i.e. non-holiday) |
| 平野 | へいや heiya | plain; open field |
| 公平 | こうへい kouhei | fair; impartial; just |
| 目的 | もくてき mokuteki | purpose; goal; aim |
| 目標 | もくひょう mokuhyou | goal; target; aim |
See also: Chinese symbol for “flounder”.
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.