Japanese symbol for “precipice”
崖
がけ
Romaji: gake
cliff; precipice
In Japanese, precipice is 崖, read がけ (gake).
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 cliff; precipice
- n precipice; brink of a dangerous situation
Written forms: 崖、厓. Readings: がけ、ガケ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “precipice”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 絶壁 | ぜっぺき zeppeki | precipice; cliff |
| 断崖 | だんがい dangai | precipice; cliff; bluff |
| 断岩 | だんがん dangan | precipice; cliff |
| 険阻 | けんそ kenso | precipice; steep place |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 断崖 | だんがい dangai | precipice; cliff; bluff |
| 崖っぷち | がけっぷち gakeppuchi | cliff edge; edge of a precipice |
| 断崖絶壁 | だんがいぜっぺき dangaizeppeki | precipitous cliff; sheer precipice |
| 磨崖仏 | まがいぶつ magaibutsu | Buddha figure carved on a rock face |
| 懸崖 | けんがい kengai | overhanging cliff |
| 海食崖 | かいしょくがい kaishokugai | sea cliff |
See also: Chinese symbol for “precipice”.
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.