Japanese symbol for “infantry”
歩兵
ほへい
Romaji: hohei
infantry; infantryman; foot soldier
In Japanese, infantry is 歩兵, read ほへい (hohei).
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 infantry; infantryman; foot soldier
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “infantry”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 普通科 | ふつうか futsuuka | infantry (in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) |
| 徒歩軍 | かちいくさ kachiikusa | infantry; infantryman; foot soldier |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 徒歩 | とほ toho | walking; going on foot |
| 散歩 | さんぽ sanpo | walk; stroll |
| 進歩 | しんぽ shinpo | progress; advance; improvement |
| 歩道 | ほどう hodou | footpath; walkway; sidewalk |
| 譲歩 | じょうほ jouho | concession; conciliation; compromise |
| 歩行 | ほこう hokou | walking; walk |
| 兵器 | へいき heiki | arms; weapon; ordnance |
| 兵士 | へいし heishi | soldier |
See also: Chinese symbol for “infantry”.
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.