Japanese symbol for “paddle”
櫂
かい
Romaji: kai
paddle; oar; scull
In Japanese, paddle is 櫂, read かい (kai).
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 paddle; oar; scull
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “paddle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| パドル | パドル padoru | paddle |
| ラケット | ラケット raketto | racket; paddle (in table-tennis) |
| 漕ぐ | こぐ kogu | to row; to paddle; to scull |
| 掻く | かく kaku | to shovel; to paddle |
| 水かき | みずかき mizukaki | paddle; paddle blade |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 櫓櫂 | ろかい rokai | sculls and paddles |
| 打ち櫂 | うちがい uchigai | type of oar |
See also: Chinese symbol for “paddle”.
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.