Japanese symbol for “fox”
狐
きつね
Romaji: kitsune
fox (esp. the red fox, Vulpes vulpes)
In Japanese, fox is 狐, read きつね (kitsune).
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 fox (esp. the red fox, Vulpes vulpes)
- n fox (i.e. a sly person)
- n soba or udon topped with deep-fried tofu
- n light brown; golden brown
Written forms: 狐. Readings: きつね、けつね、きつ、キツネ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “fox”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 稲荷 | いなり inari | fox (said to be messengers of Inari) |
| フォックス | フォックス fokkusu | fox; fox fur |
| 野狐囲碁 | のぎつねいご nogitsuneigo | Fox; Fox Weiqi (Chinese online go server) (abbr) |
| 野狐 | のぎつね nogitsune | Fox; Fox Weiqi (Chinese online go server) (abbr) |
| コンコン | コンコン konkon | fox |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 妖狐 | ようこ youko | fox with supernatural powers; fox spirit |
| 白狐 | しろぎつね shirogitsune | old, white fox (trad. said to have supernatural powers) |
| 狐狸 | こり kori | foxes and tanuki |
| 狐火 | きつねび kitsunebi | pale fiery light seen in fields and mountains at night; will-o'-the-wisp; ignis fatuus |
| 狐憑き | きつねつき kitsunetsuki | possession by a fox spirit; person possessed by a fox spirit |
| 銀狐 | ぎんぎつね gingitsune | silver fox |
See also: Chinese symbol for “fox”.
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.