Japanese symbol for “sheep”
羊
ひつじ
Romaji: hitsuji
sheep (Ovis aries)
In Japanese, sheep is 羊, read ひつじ (hitsuji).
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 sheep (Ovis aries)
Written forms: 羊. Readings: ひつじ、ヒツジ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sheep”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 未 | ひつじ hitsuji | the Sheep (eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Ram; the Goat |
| ミーハー | ミーハー miihaa | faddist; follow-the-crowd type; poser |
| シープ | シープ shiipu | sheep |
| めん羊 | めんよう men'you | sheep |
| 羅紗綿 | ラシャめん rashamen | sheep |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 羊毛 | ようもう youmou | wool |
| 子羊 | こひつじ kohitsuji | lamb |
| 羊水 | ようすい yousui | amniotic fluid |
| 山羊 | やぎ yagi | goat |
| 羊羹 | ようかん youkan | yōkan; jellied dessert made from red bean paste, agar, and sugar |
| 牧羊 | ぼくよう bokuyou | sheep farming |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sheep”.
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.