Japanese symbol for “orangutan”
猩々
しょうじょう
Romaji: shoujou
orangutan
In Japanese, orangutan is 猩々, read しょうじょう (shoujou).
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 orangutan
- n heavy drinker
Written forms: 猩々、猩猩. Readings: しょうじょう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “orangutan”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| オランウータン | オランウータン oran'uutan | orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus); orang-utan; orangutang |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 猩紅熱 | しょうこうねつ shoukounetsu | scarlet fever |
| 猩々緋 | しょうじょうひ shoujouhi | scarlet |
| 黒猩々 | くろしょうじょう kuroshoujou | chimpanzee |
| 猩猩蠅 | しょうじょうばえ shoujoubae | fruit fly (any insect of family Drosophilidae); vinegar fly; pomace fly |
| 猩々草 | しょうじょうそう shoujousou | Mexican fireplant (Euphorbia heterophylla); painted euphorbia; Japanese poinsettia |
See also: Chinese symbol for “orangutan”.
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.