Japanese symbol for “rock”
岩
いわ
Romaji: iwa
rock; boulder
In Japanese, rock is 岩, read いわ (iwa).
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 rock; boulder
- n crag
Written forms: 岩、巌、磐、巖. Readings: いわ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rock”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ロック | ロック rokku | rock (music) |
| 岩石 | がんせき ganseki | rock |
| 石 | いし ishi | stone; rock; pebble |
| 揺る | ゆる yuru | to shake; to jolt; to rock (cradle) |
| 揺らす | ゆらす yurasu | to rock; to shake; to swing |
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 |
| 岩礁 | がんしょう ganshou | reef |
| 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 |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rock”.
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.