Japanese symbol for “shaft”
軸
じく
Romaji: jiku
axis; shaft; axle
In Japanese, shaft is 軸, read じく (jiku).
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, n-suf axis; shaft; axle
- n center; centre; focal point; key point
- n stalk; stem
- n hanging scroll
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shaft”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 坑道 | こうどう koudou | tunnel; (mining) gallery; level |
| シャフト | シャフト shafuto | shaft (e.g. machinery); axle |
| 円柱 | えんちゅう enchuu | column; shaft; cylinder |
| 立坑 | たてこう tatekou | shaft (e.g. in a mine); pit |
| 箆 | の no | shaft (of an arrow; made of bamboo) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 掛け軸 | かけじく kakejiku | hanging scroll |
| 主軸 | しゅじく shujiku | main spindle; main shaft |
| 枢軸 | すうじく suujiku | axle; pivot |
| 基軸 | きじく kijiku | basis; foundation; core |
| 車軸 | しゃじく shajiku | axle |
| 中軸 | ちゅうじく chuujiku | axis; pivot; central figure |
See also: Chinese symbol for “shaft”.
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.