Japanese symbol for “neck”
首
くび
Romaji: kubi
neck
In Japanese, neck is 首, read くび (kubi).
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 neck
- n head
- n dismissal (from a job); firing; sacking
Written forms: 首、頸、頚、馘. Readings: くび、クビ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “neck”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 襟 | えり eri | collar; lapel; neckband |
| 襟元 | えりもと erimoto | (around the) neck; nape |
| ネック | ネック nekku | neck |
| 竿 | さお sao | neck (of a shamisen, etc.); shamisen |
| 頸部 | けいぶ keibu | neck |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 首相 | しゅしょう shushou | prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier |
| 首都 | しゅと shuto | (national) capital (city); metropolis |
| 首脳 | しゅのう shunou | head; leader; top |
| 手首 | てくび tekubi | wrist |
| 足首 | あしくび ashikubi | ankle |
| 乳首 | ちくび chikubi | nipple; teat |
See also: Chinese symbol for “neck”.
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.
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