Japanese symbol for “sardine”
鰯
いわし
Romaji: iwashi
pilchard (esp. Japanese pilchard, Sardinops melanostictus); sardine
In Japanese, sardine is 鰯, read いわし (iwashi).
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 pilchard (esp. Japanese pilchard, Sardinops melanostictus); sardine
Written forms: 鰯、鰮. Readings: いわし、イワシ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sardine”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| サージン | サージン saajin | sardine |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鰯雲 | いわしぐも iwashigumo | cirrocumulus cloud; mackerel sky |
| 片口鰯 | かたくちいわし katakuchiiwashi | Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonica) |
| 潤目鰯 | うるめいわし urumeiwashi | round herring (Etrumeus teres) |
| 畳鰯 | たたみいわし tatamiiwashi | sheet of dried sardines |
| 赤鰯 | あかいわし akaiwashi | pickled sardines; dried sardines; red sardines |
| 干鰯 | ほしか hoshika | fertilizer made from dried sardines |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sardine”.
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.