Japanese symbol for “inhumane”
酷薄
こくはく
Romaji: kokuhaku
cruel; inhumane; callous; brutal
In Japanese, inhumane is 酷薄, read こくはく (kokuhaku).
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
- adj-na, n cruel; inhumane; callous; brutal
Written forms: 酷薄、刻薄. Readings: こくはく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “inhumane”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 非人道的 | ひじんどうてき hijindouteki | inhumane; inhuman |
| 非人間的 | ひにんげんてき hiningenteki | inhuman; inhumane |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 残酷 | ざんこく zankoku | cruel; brutal; ruthless |
| 過酷 | かこく kakoku | severe; harsh; hard |
| 冷酷 | れいこく reikoku | cruelty; coldheartedness; relentless |
| 酷い | ひどい hidoi | cruel; heartless; hard |
| 酷暑 | こくしょ kokusho | intense heat; severe heat |
| 酷評 | こくひょう kokuhyou | severe criticism; sharp criticism; scathing criticism |
| 薄い | うすい usui | thin (of an object) |
| 薄暗い | うすぐらい usugurai | dim; gloomy |
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.