Japanese symbol for “lamentations”
哀歌
あいか
Romaji: aika
lament (song); elegy; dirge; sad song
In Japanese, lamentations is 哀歌, read あいか (aika).
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-no, n lament (song); elegy; dirge; sad song
- adj-no, n Lamentations (book of the Bible)
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 可哀想 | かわいそう kawaisou | poor; pitiable; pathetic |
| 哀れ | あわれ aware | pity; sorrow; grief |
| 哀愁 | あいしゅう aishuu | pathos; sorrow; grief |
| 喜怒哀楽 | きどあいらく kidoairaku | human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure); feelings |
| 哀悼 | あいとう aitou | condolence; regret; tribute |
| 悲哀 | ひあい hiai | sorrow; grief; sadness |
| 歌手 | かしゅ kashu | singer |
| 歌う | うたう utau | to sing |
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.