Japanese symbol for “phd”
博
はく
Romaji: haku
doctor; PhD
In Japanese, phd is 博, read はく (haku).
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-suf doctor; PhD
- n-suf exposition; fair; exhibition
Written forms: 博. Readings: はく、ばく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “phd”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 博士 | はくし hakushi | doctor; PhD; Dr. |
| 博士 | はかせ hakase | doctor; PhD; Dr. |
| 博士号 | はくしごう hakushigou | doctor's degree; doctorate; PhD |
| 哲学博士 | てつがくはくし tetsugakuhakushi | doctor of philosophy; PhD |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 博士 | はかせ hakase | expert; learned person |
| 博物館 | はくぶつかん hakubutsukan | museum |
| 博愛 | はくあい hakuai | charity; benevolence; philanthropy |
| 博多 | はかた hakata | Hakata (old but still commonly used name for Fukuoka) |
| 賭博 | とばく tobaku | gambling |
See also: Chinese symbol for “phd”.
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.