Japanese symbol for “reef”
岩礁
がんしょう
Romaji: ganshou
reef
In Japanese, reef is 岩礁, read がんしょう (ganshou).
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 reef
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reef”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根 | ね ne | (fishing) reef |
| 暗礁 | あんしょう anshou | reef; sunken rock |
| リーフ | リーフ riifu | reef |
| 鉱脈 | こうみゃく koumyaku | vein (of ore); reef; streak |
| 礁 | しょう shou | reef |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 溶岩 | ようがん yougan | lava |
| 岩盤 | がんばん ganban | bedrock |
| 岩屋 | いわや iwaya | cave; cavern; grotto |
| 岩石 | がんせき ganseki | rock |
| 岩山 | いわやま iwayama | rocky mountain |
| 環礁 | かんしょう kanshou | atoll; circular coral reef |
| 暗礁 | あんしょう anshou | reef; sunken rock |
| 座礁 | ざしょう zashou | running aground; being stranded; grounding |
See also: Chinese symbol for “reef”.
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.