Japanese symbol for “pin”
針
はり
Romaji: hari
needle; pin
In Japanese, pin is 針, read はり (hari).
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 needle; pin
- n hook
- n stinger; thorn
- n hand (e.g. clock, etc.); pointer
- n staple (for a stapler)
- n needlework; sewing
Written forms: 針、鉤、鈎. Readings: はり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ピン | ピン pin | pin (e.g. hairpin, safety pin) |
| 釘 | くぎ kugi | nail; spike; tack |
| 着せる | きせる kiseru | to pin (e.g. a crime on someone); to lay (blame); to charge (with an offence) |
| 端子 | たんし tanshi | pin (on a semiconductor or microcontroller) |
| 止める | とめる tomeru | to fix (in place); to fasten; to tack |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 方針 | ほうしん houshin | policy; course; plan (of action) |
| 指針 | ししん shishin | needle (compass, gauge, etc.); hand (clock); indicator |
| 針金 | はりがね harigane | wire |
| 羅針盤 | らしんばん rashinban | compass |
| 釣り針 | つりばり tsuribari | fish hook |
| 針路 | しんろ shinro | course; direction |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pin”.
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.