Japanese symbol for “mating”
交配
こうはい
Romaji: kouhai
mating; crossbreeding; cross-fertilization; cross-fertilisation
In Japanese, mating is 交配, read こうはい (kouhai).
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, vs, vt mating; crossbreeding; cross-fertilization; cross-fertilisation
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mating”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 種付け | たねつけ tanetsuke | mating |
| 交尾 | こうび koubi | copulation (among animals); mating; treading |
| 交接 | こうせつ kousetsu | copulation; mating |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 交換 | こうかん koukan | exchange; interchange; switching |
| 交通 | こうつう koutsuu | traffic; transportation |
| 交渉 | こうしょう koushou | negotiations; bargaining; discussions |
| 交流 | こうりゅう kouryuu | exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction |
| 外交 | がいこう gaikou | diplomacy |
| 交代 | こうたい koutai | change; alternation; rotation |
| 心配 | しんぱい shinpai | worry; concern; anxiety |
| 支配 | しはい shihai | rule; domination; control |
See also: Chinese symbol for “mating”.
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.