Japanese symbol for “hole”
穴
あな
Romaji: ana
hole; opening; orifice; perforation
In Japanese, hole is 穴, read あな (ana).
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 hole; opening; orifice; perforation
- n pit; hollow; cavity; hole (e.g. in the ground)
- n burrow; den; lair; holt; hole
- n deficit; shortage; (financial) hole; loss
- n gap (left by a missing employee, team member, etc.); vacancy; opening
- n flaw; fault; defect; weak point; hole (in a theory, plan, etc.); loophole
Written forms: 穴、孔. Readings: あな.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hole”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ホール | ホール hooru | hole |
| 口 | くち kuchi | opening; hole; gap |
| 洞 | ほら hora | hollow; cavity; hole |
| 破れ | やぶれ yabure | tear; rip; breach |
| 虚 | うろ uro | hollow; cavity; hole |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 墓穴 | ぼけつ boketsu | grave (pit) |
| 穴埋め | あなうめ anaume | filling (up) a hole |
| 落とし穴 | おとしあな otoshiana | pitfall; trap; pit |
| 毛穴 | けあな keana | pore (of the skin) |
| 洞穴 | ほらあな horaana | cave; cavern; den |
| 風穴 | かざあな kazaana | air hole; windhole; air vent |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hole”.
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.
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