Japanese symbol for “fool”
馬鹿
ばか
Romaji: baka
idiot; moron; fool
In Japanese, fool is 馬鹿, read ばか (baka).
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 idiot; moron; fool
- adj-na stupid; foolish; dull; absurd; ridiculous
- adj-na, n trivial; insignificant; disappointing
- adj-na, n malfunctioning; defective; losing sensation
- n, n-pref incredibly; unusually; exceptionally
- adj-na, n, n-suf fervent enthusiast; nut; person singularly obsessed with something
Written forms: 馬鹿、莫迦、破家、馬稼. Readings: ばか、バカ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “fool”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 阿呆 | あほ aho | fool; idiot; simpleton |
| 痴漢 | ちかん chikan | fool; idiot |
| 愚か者 | おろかもの orokamono | fool |
| 愚者 | ぐしゃ gusha | fool; nitwit |
| 惚け | ぼけ boke | fool; idiot |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 競馬 | けいば keiba | horse racing |
| 馬場 | ばば baba | riding ground; racecourse; racetrack |
| 出馬 | しゅつば shutsuba | running (for election); coming forward as a candidate |
| 馬力 | ばりき bariki | horsepower; hp |
| 馬券 | ばけん baken | betting ticket; betting slip |
| 鹿児島 | かごしま kagoshima | Kagoshima (city, prefecture) |
| 牡鹿 | おじか ojika | buck (male deer) |
| 小馬鹿 | こばか kobaka | fool; person beneath one's contempt |
See also: Chinese symbol for “fool”.
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.