King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “hilt”

Romaji: tsuka
hilt (of a sword); haft (of a dagger); handle; handgrip

In Japanese, hilt is , read (tsuka).

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

  1. n hilt (of a sword); haft (of a dagger); handle; handgrip

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

design, pattern, build
on: ヘイ
kun: がら、え、つか
9 strokes · JLPT 1

Other Japanese words for “hilt”

WordReadingMeaning
はへい haheihilt
せっぱ seppa(up to) the hilt; wits' end
あくは akuhagrip (sword, gun, etc.); hilt; handle

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ひとがら hitogarapersonality; character; personal appearance
みがら migaraone's person
ことがら kotogaramatter; thing; affair
めいがら meigarabrand; make; description
てがら tegaraachievement; feat; meritorious deed
こがら kogarasmall build; small stature; petite

See also: Chinese symbol for “hilt”.

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.