Japanese symbol for “pumpkin”
南瓜
かぼちゃ
Romaji: kabocha
pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.); squash
In Japanese, pumpkin is 南瓜, read かぼちゃ (kabocha).
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 pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.); squash
Written forms: 南瓜. Readings: かぼちゃ、ぼうぶら、なんか、カボチャ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pumpkin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| パンプキン | パンプキン panpukin | pumpkin |
| 南京 | ナンキン nankin | pumpkin; squash |
| 唐茄子 | とうなす tounasu | squash; pumpkin |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 南部 | なんぶ nanbu | southern part; the south (of a region) |
| 南北 | なんぼく nanboku | north and south; north to south |
| 南西 | なんせい nansei | southwest |
| 南東 | なんとう nantou | southeast |
| 南極 | なんきょく nankyoku | South Pole |
| 南米 | なんべい nanbei | South America |
| 西瓜 | すいか suika | watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) |
| 胡瓜 | きゅうり kyuuri | cucumber (Cucumis sativus) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pumpkin”.
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.