Japanese symbol for “pike”
矛
ほこ
Romaji: hoko
long-handled Chinese spear; lance; pike
In Japanese, pike is 矛, read ほこ (hoko).
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 long-handled Chinese spear; lance; pike
- n weapon; arms
- n grip of a bow
- n parade float decorated with long-handled Chinese spears
Written forms: 矛、鉾、戈、鋒. Readings: ほこ、とかり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pike”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| パイク | パイク paiku | pike (freshwater fish, Esox sp.) |
| 川魣 | かわかます kawakamasu | pike (esp. the Amur pike, Esox reichertii); pickerel |
| 長槍 | ながやり nagayari | long spear; pike |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 矛盾 | むじゅん mujun | contradiction; inconsistency |
| 矛先 | ほこさき hokosaki | point of a spear; spearhead |
| 自己矛盾 | じこむじゅん jikomujun | self-contradiction; paradox; antinomy |
| 矛盾語法 | むじゅんごほう mujungohou | oxymoron |
| 矛盾撞着 | むじゅんどうちゃく mujundouchaku | self-contradiction |
| 前後矛盾 | ぜんごむじゅん zengomujun | self-contradiction; self-inconsistency |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pike”.
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.