Japanese symbol for “seagull”
鴎
かもめ
Romaji: kamome
common gull (Larus canus)
In Japanese, seagull is 鴎, read かもめ (kamome).
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 common gull (Larus canus)
- n gull (Laridae spp.); seagull
Written forms: 鴎、鷗. Readings: カモメ、かもめ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 三趾鴎 | みつゆびかもめ mitsuyubikamome | black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) |
| フルマ鴎 | フルマかもめ furumakamome | northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) |
| 百合鴎 | ゆりかもめ yurikamome | black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus); hooded gull |
| 笑い鴎 | わらいかもめ waraikamome | laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) |
| 背黒鴎 | せぐろかもめ segurokamome | herring gull (Larus argentatus) |
| 盗賊鴎 | とうぞくかもめ touzokukamome | skua (any bird of family Stercorariidae, incl. the jaegers) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “seagull”.
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.