Japanese symbol for “shell”
殻
から
Romaji: kara
shell; husk; hull; pod
In Japanese, shell is 殻, read から (kara).
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 shell; husk; hull; pod; chaff
Written forms: 殻、骸. Readings: から.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shell”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 砲弾 | ほうだん houdan | shell; cannonball |
| 貝殻 | かいがら kaigara | seashell; shell |
| 甲 | こう kou | carapace; shell |
| 皮 | かわ kawa | shell; sheath; wrapping |
| 甲羅 | こうら koura | shell (of a crab, tortoise, etc.); carapace; plastron |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 貝殻 | かいがら kaigara | seashell; shell |
| 地殻 | ちかく chikaku | (Earth's) crust |
| 吸い殻 | すいがら suigara | cigarette end; cigarette butt |
| 甲殻 | こうかく koukaku | carapace; shell; crust |
| 抜け殻 | ぬけがら nukegara | cast-off skin (snake, insect, etc.); husk; empty shell |
| 卵殻 | らんかく rankaku | eggshell |
See also: Chinese symbol for “shell”.
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.