Japanese symbol for “kneecap”
膝蓋骨
しつがいこつ
Romaji: shitsugaikotsu
kneecap; patella
In Japanese, kneecap is 膝蓋骨, read しつがいこつ (shitsugaikotsu).
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 kneecap; patella (anat)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “kneecap”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 膝頭 | ひざがしら hizagashira | kneecap |
| 膝小僧 | ひざこぞう hizakozou | kneecap |
| 膝の皿 | ひざのさら hizanosara | kneecap; patella |
| 膝車 | ひざぐるま hizaguruma | kneecap |
| 膝蓋 | しつがい shitsugai | patella; kneecap |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 膝枕 | ひざまくら hizamakura | laying one's head in someone's lap; using someone's lap for a pillow |
| 膝元 | ひざもと hizamoto | near one's knee |
| 膝下 | ひざした hizashita | below the knee |
| 膝頭 | ひざがしら hizagashira | kneecap |
| 膝栗毛 | ひざくりげ hizakurige | travelling on foot; journeying on foot; hiking |
| 頭蓋骨 | ずがいこつ zugaikotsu | skull; cranium |
| 頭蓋 | ずがい zugai | cranium; skull |
| 口蓋 | こうがい kougai | palate |
| 骨折 | こっせつ kossetsu | bone fracture |
See also: Chinese symbol for “kneecap”.
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.