Japanese symbol for “hound”
猟犬
りょうけん
Romaji: ryouken
hound; hunting dog; gun dog
In Japanese, hound is 猟犬, read りょうけん (ryouken).
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 hound; hunting dog; gun dog
Written forms: 猟犬. Readings: りょうけん、かりいぬ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hound”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 狂 | きょう kyou | maniac; enthusiast; fan |
| 走狗 | そうく souku | hound; hunting dog |
| ハウンド | ハウンド haundo | hound |
| 食い下がる | くいさがる kuisagaru | to hound; to keep after (someone); to refuse to back down |
| 強請る | ねだる nedaru | to beg; to pester; to plead |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 狩猟 | しゅりょう shuryou | hunting |
| 猟銃 | りょうじゅう ryoujuu | hunting gun (usu. shotgun or rifle) |
| 猟師 | りょうし ryoushi | hunter; huntsman |
| 密猟 | みつりょう mitsuryou | poaching |
| 猟奇 | りょうき ryouki | seeking the bizarre (abnormal, grotesque, etc.) |
| 愛犬 | あいけん aiken | pet dog; beloved dog |
| 飼い犬 | かいいぬ kaiinu | pet dog |
| 野犬 | やけん yaken | stray dog; ownerless dog |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hound”.
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.