Japanese symbol for “scar”
傷
きず
Romaji: kizu
wound; injury; cut; gash
In Japanese, scar is 傷, read きず (kizu).
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 wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch
- n chip; crack; scratch; nick
- n flaw; defect; weakness; weak point
- n stain (on one's reputation); disgrace; dishonor; dishonour
- n (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings
Written forms: 傷、疵、瑕、創. Readings: きず、キズ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “scar”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 傷跡 | きずあと kizuato | scar |
| 跡 | あと ato | scar |
| 痕 | こん kon | scar (e.g. from operation, injection); trace; mark (e.g. skid marks) |
| 古傷 | ふるきず furukizu | old wound; scar |
| 瘢痕 | はんこん hankon | scar; cicatrix |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 負傷 | ふしょう fushou | injury; wound |
| 傷つける | きずつける kizutsukeru | to wound; to injure |
| 重傷 | じゅうしょう juushou | serious wound; serious injury |
| 傷害 | しょうがい shougai | injury; inflicting bodily injury |
| 中傷 | ちゅうしょう chuushou | slander; libel; defamation |
| 傷つく | きずつく kizutsuku | to be wounded; to get injured |
See also: Chinese symbol for “scar”.
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.