Japanese symbol for “marquis”
侯
こう
Romaji: kou
marquis; second highest rank of the five ranks of nobility
In Japanese, marquis is 侯, read こう (kou).
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, n-suf marquis; second highest rank of the five ranks of nobility
- n, n-suf daimyo
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “marquis”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 侯爵 | こうしゃく koushaku | marquis; marquess |
| 辺境伯 | へんきょうはく henkyouhaku | marquis; margrave |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 侯爵 | こうしゃく koushaku | marquis; marquess |
| 王侯 | おうこう oukou | the king and his feudal lords |
| 諸侯 | しょこう shokou | feudal lords; barons; princes |
| 侯国 | こうこく koukoku | marquisate; marquessate; principality |
| 侯爵夫人 | こうしゃくふじん koushakufujin | marchioness |
| 侯伯 | こうはく kouhaku | nobles; feudal lords |
See also: Chinese symbol for “marquis”.
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.