Japanese symbol for “incline”
坂
さか
Romaji: saka
slope; incline; hill
In Japanese, incline is 坂, read さか (saka).
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 slope; incline; hill
- n milestone; (age) mark
Written forms: 坂、阪. Readings: さか.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “incline”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 傾ける | かたむける katamukeru | to incline; to lean; to tip |
| 勾配 | こうばい koubai | slope; incline; gradient |
| 偏る | かたよる katayoru | to lean (to one side); to incline |
| 傾く | かぶく kabuku | to lean (esp. of a ripe ear of rice); to incline; to slant |
| 傾げる | かしげる kashigeru | to tilt (esp. head); to lean; to incline |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 坂道 | さかみち sakamichi | hill road |
| 下り坂 | くだりざか kudarizaka | downhill; downward slope; descent |
| 坂東 | ばんどう bandou | Bandō; former name of the Kantō region |
| 登坂 | とうはん touhan | climbing a slope (hill); ascending a hill |
| 松坂屋 | まつざかや matsuzakaya | Matsuzakaya (major Japanese department store chain) |
| 上り坂 | のぼりざか noborizaka | ascent; uphill; upward slope |
See also: Chinese symbol for “incline”.
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.