Japanese symbol for “harshness”
角
かど
Romaji: kado
corner; edge
In Japanese, harshness is 角, read かど (kado).
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 corner; edge
- n (street) corner; turning
- n rough edges (of one's character, words, etc.); abrasiveness; harshness; sharpness
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “harshness”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 秋霜烈日 | しゅうそうれつじつ shuusouretsujitsu | harshness; severity |
| エグ味 | えぐみ egumi | harshness; acridity; astringent taste |
| 秋霜 | しゅうそう shuusou | harshness; strictness; rigour |
| 荒々しさ | あらあらしさ araarashisa | roughness; rudeness; wildness |
| 圭角 | けいかく keikaku | rough edges (of one's character, words, etc.); abrasiveness; harshness |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 角度 | かくど kakudo | angle |
| 三角 | さんかく sankaku | triangle; triangular shape |
| 多角 | たかく takaku | many-sided; versatile; polygonal |
| 街角 | まちかど machikado | street corner |
| 三角形 | さんかくけい sankakukei | triangle |
| 一角 | いっかく ikkaku | corner; section; point |
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.