Japanese symbol for “ghost”
幽霊
ゆうれい
Romaji: yuurei
ghost; specter; spectre; apparition
In Japanese, ghost is 幽霊, read ゆうれい (yuurei).
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 ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ghost”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 妖怪 | ようかい youkai | ghost; apparition; phantom |
| お化け | おばけ obake | ghost; apparition |
| 霊 | れい rei | soul; spirit; departed soul |
| ゴースト | ゴースト goosuto | ghost |
| 化け物 | ばけもの bakemono | goblin; apparition; monster |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 幽閉 | ゆうへい yuuhei | confinement; imprisonment; incarceration |
| 幽玄 | ゆうげん yuugen | mysterious profundity; quiet beauty; the subtle and profound |
| 幽鬼 | ゆうき yuuki | ghost; revenant; spirit (of the dead) |
| 幽界 | ゆうかい yuukai | hades; realm of the dead |
| 幽谷 | ゆうこく yuukoku | deep ravine; glen |
| 亡霊 | ぼうれい bourei | departed spirit; soul of the dead |
| 慰霊 | いれい irei | consoling the spirits of the dead |
| 精霊 | しょうりょう shouryou | spirit of the deceased |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ghost”.
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.