Japanese symbol for “pipe”
管
かん
Romaji: kan
pipe; tube
In Japanese, pipe is 管, read かん (kan).
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 pipe; tube
- n wind instrument
- n vessel; duct; tract; canal (anat)
- ctr counter for tube-shaped objects
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pipe”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 筒 | つつ tsutsu | pipe; tube; cylinder |
| 笛 | ふえ fue | flute; fife; pipe |
| パイプ | パイプ paipu | pipe; tube |
| 筒 | とう tou | pipe; tube |
| 導管 | どうかん doukan | conduit; pipe; duct |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 管理 | かんり kanri | control; management (e.g. of a business) |
| 保管 | ほかん hokan | charge; custody; safekeeping |
| 血管 | けっかん kekkan | blood vessel; vein |
| 管轄 | かんかつ kankatsu | jurisdiction; control |
| 管制 | かんせい kansei | control (by the state); controlling; coordination |
| 配管 | はいかん haikan | plumbing; piping |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pipe”.
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.