Japanese symbol for “obstacle”
障害
しょうがい
Romaji: shougai
obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier
In Japanese, obstacle is 障害, read しょうがい (shougai).
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 obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier; difficulty
- n disability; handicap; impairment; dysfunction; disorder; defect
- n steeplechase (horse)
- n obstacle race; steeplechase (athletics)
Written forms: 障害、障がい、障碍、障礙. Readings: しょうがい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “obstacle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 支障 | ししょう shishou | obstacle; hindrance; impediment |
| 邪魔 | じゃま jama | hindrance; obstacle; nuisance |
| 難関 | なんかん nankan | barrier; obstacle; difficulty |
| 壁 | かべ kabe | barrier; obstacle; hindrance |
| 故障 | こしょう koshou | problem; hitch; obstacle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 故障 | こしょう koshou | fault; trouble; breakdown |
| 支障 | ししょう shishou | obstacle; hindrance; impediment |
| 障壁 | しょうへき shouheki | enclosing wall; boundary fence |
| 障子 | しょうじ shouji | shoji (paper sliding door) |
| 耳障り | みみざわり mimizawari | hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping |
| 被害 | ひがい higai | (suffering) damage; injury; harm |
| 災害 | さいがい saigai | calamity; disaster; misfortune |
| 損害 | そんがい songai | damage; injury; loss |
See also: Chinese symbol for “obstacle”.
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.