Japanese symbol for “shellfish”
貝
かい
Romaji: kai
shellfish
In Japanese, shellfish is 貝, read かい (kai).
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 shellfish
- n seashell; shell
Written forms: 貝、介. Readings: かい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shellfish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 貝類 | かいるい kairui | shellfish |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 貝殻 | かいがら kaigara | seashell; shell |
| 貝塚 | かいづか kaizuka | shell heap; shell mound; kitchen midden |
| 貝類 | かいるい kairui | shellfish |
| 巻き貝 | まきがい makigai | snail; spiral shell |
| 貝柱 | かいばしら kaibashira | adductor muscle |
| ムール貝 | ムールがい muurugai | (edible) mussel (esp. the Mediterranean mussel or blue mussel) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “shellfish”.
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.