Japanese symbol for “pepper”
胡椒
こしょう
Romaji: koshou
pepper
In Japanese, pepper is 胡椒, read こしょう (koshou).
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 pepper
Written forms: 胡椒. Readings: こしょう、コショウ、コショー.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pepper”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ペッパー | ペッパー peppaa | pepper |
| ペパー | ペパー pepaa | pepper |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 胡桃 | くるみ kurumi | walnut (Juglans spp., esp. Juglans regia) |
| 胡麻 | ごま goma | sesame seeds |
| 胡瓜 | きゅうり kyuuri | cucumber (Cucumis sativus) |
| 胡散臭い | うさんくさい usankusai | suspicious-looking; shady; questionable |
| 胡蝶 | こちょう kochou | butterfly |
| 山椒 | さんしょう sanshou | Japanese pepper (species of Sichuan pepper, Zanthoxylum piperitum); Japanese prickly ash |
| 山椒魚 | さんしょううお sanshouuo | salamander |
| 大山椒魚 | おおさんしょううお oosanshouuo | Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pepper”.
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.