Japanese symbol for “heavens”
空
そら
Romaji: sora
sky; the air; the heavens
In Japanese, heavens is 空, read そら (sora).
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 sky; the air; the heavens
- n weather
- n far-off place; distant place
- n state of mind; feeling
- n (from) memory; (by) heart
- n falsehood; lie
Written forms: 空、虚. Readings: そら.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “heavens”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大空 | おおぞら oozora | wide open sky; the blue; heavens |
| 天空 | てんくう tenkuu | sky; air; ether |
| 天上 | てんじょう tenjou | the heavens; the skies |
| 天界 | てんかい tenkai | the heavens; the skies; celestial sphere |
| 満天 | まんてん manten | the whole sky; the firmament; the heavens |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空気 | くうき kuuki | air; atmosphere |
| 空港 | くうこう kuukou | airport |
| 空間 | くうかん kuukan | space; room; airspace |
| 航空 | こうくう koukuu | aviation; flying |
| 航空機 | こうくうき koukuuki | aircraft |
| 空中 | くうちゅう kuuchuu | (in) the air; midair; sky |
See also: Chinese symbol for “heavens”.
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.