Japanese symbol for “goad”
鞭
むち
Romaji: muchi
whip; lash; scourge
In Japanese, goad is 鞭, read むち (muchi).
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 whip; lash; scourge
- n stick; cane; rod; pointer
- n encouragement; rebuke; spur; goad
Written forms: 鞭、笞、策、韃. Readings: ムチ、むち、ぶち.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “goad”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 突き棒 | つきぼう tsukibou | (cattle) prod; goad |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先鞭 | せんべん senben | initiative; pioneering |
| 鞭打ち | むちうち muchiuchi | whipping; beating with a whip |
| 教鞭 | きょうべん kyouben | teacher's cane; teacher's pointer |
| 鞭打つ | むちうつ muchiutsu | to whip; to lash; to give the rod |
| 鞭撻 | べんたつ bentatsu | encouragement; urging; spurring on |
| 三鞭酒 | シャンパン shanpan | champagne |
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.