Japanese symbol for “singing”
歌
うた
Romaji: uta
song; singing
In Japanese, singing is 歌, read うた (uta).
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 song; singing
- n classical Japanese poem (esp. tanka)
- n modern poetry
Written forms: 歌、唄、詩. Readings: うた.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “singing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 声 | こえ koe | singing (of a bird); chirping (of an insect); hoot |
| 唱歌 | しょうか shouka | singing; song |
| 歌声 | うたごえ utagoe | singing voice; (sound of) singing |
| 歌唱 | かしょう kashou | song; singing |
| ボーカル | ボーカル bookaru | vocal (performance); vocals; singing |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歌手 | かしゅ kashu | singer |
| 歌う | うたう utau | to sing |
| 歌舞伎 | かぶき kabuki | kabuki; traditional form of drama and music performed by male actors wearing makeup mainly in white and red |
| 短歌 | たんか tanka | tanka; 31-mora Japanese poem |
| 歌詞 | かし kashi | song lyrics; words of a song; libretto |
| 歌声 | うたごえ utagoe | singing voice; (sound of) singing |
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.