Japanese symbol for “gulf”
湾
わん
Romaji: wan
bay; gulf; inlet
In Japanese, gulf is 湾, read わん (wan).
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, n-suf bay; gulf; inlet
Written forms: 湾、灣. Readings: わん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gulf”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 内海 | ないかい naikai | inland sea; inlet; gulf |
| 隔たり | へだたり hedatari | distance; difference; gap |
| 溝 | みぞ mizo | gap (between people, countries, etc.); gulf; rift |
| 海湾 | かいわん kaiwan | gulf; bay |
| 入り海 | いりうみ iriumi | bay; inlet; gulf |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 台湾 | たいわん taiwan | Taiwan |
| 湾岸 | わんがん wangan | gulf coast; bay coast |
| 港湾 | こうわん kouwan | harbour; harbor |
| 湾曲 | わんきょく wankyoku | curve; bend; crook |
| 湾内 | わんない wannai | inside the bay |
| 湾流 | わんりゅう wanryuu | the Gulf Stream |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gulf”.
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.