Japanese symbol for “puppy”
子犬
こいぬ
Romaji: koinu
puppy
In Japanese, puppy is 子犬, read こいぬ (koinu).
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 puppy
- n small dog
Written forms: 子犬、仔犬、小犬、子いぬ. Readings: こいぬ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “puppy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| パピー | パピー papii | puppy |
| 犬子 | えのこ enoko | puppy |
| 犬の子 | いんのこ innoko | puppy; whelp |
| 犬コロ | いぬころ inukoro | pup; puppy |
| 犬っころ | いぬっころ inukkoro | pup; puppy; whelp |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 子供 | こども kodomo | child; children |
| 女子 | じょし joshi | woman; girl |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ onnanoko | girl; daughter; baby girl |
| 男子 | だんし danshi | boy |
| 息子 | むすこ musuko | son |
| 様子 | ようす yousu | state (of affairs); situation; circumstances |
| 愛犬 | あいけん aiken | pet dog; beloved dog |
| 飼い犬 | かいいぬ kaiinu | pet dog |
See also: Chinese symbol for “puppy”.
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.