Japanese symbol for “sheath”
皮
かわ
Romaji: kawa
skin; hide; pelt; fur
In Japanese, sheath is 皮, read かわ (kawa).
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 skin; hide; pelt; fur
- n rind; peel; husk; bark
- n shell; sheath; wrapping
- n mask (hiding one's true nature); seeming
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sheath”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 袴 | はかま hakama | (leaf) sheath |
| 鞘 | さや saya | scabbard; sheath |
| サック | サック sakku | sheath; case; (finger) stall |
| シース | シース shiisu | sheath |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 皮膚 | ひふ hifu | skin |
| 皮肉 | ひにく hiniku | irony; sarcasm; cynicism |
| 毛皮 | けがわ kegawa | fur; skin; pelt |
| 皮切り | かわきり kawakiri | beginning; start |
| 脱皮 | だっぴ dappi | ecdysis; shedding (of skin); sloughing |
| 樹皮 | じゅひ juhi | bark (of a tree, etc.) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sheath”.
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.