Japanese symbol for “sketch”
絵
え
Romaji: e
picture; drawing; painting; sketch
In Japanese, sketch is 絵, read え (e).
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 picture; drawing; painting; sketch
- n image (TV, film, etc.); picture; footage
Written forms: 絵、画. Readings: え、が.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sketch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 描く | えがく egaku | to draw; to paint; to sketch |
| スケッチ | スケッチ suketchi | sketch; sketching |
| イラスト | イラスト irasuto | illustration; picture; sketch |
| 図案 | ずあん zuan | design; sketch |
| 素描 | そびょう sobyou | drawing; sketch |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 絵画 | かいが kaiga | painting; picture |
| 絵本 | えほん ehon | picture book |
| 絵葉書 | えはがき ehagaki | picture postcard |
| 絵の具 | えのぐ enogu | paint; coloring materials; colors |
| 油絵 | あぶらえ aburae | oil painting |
| 絵柄 | えがら egara | pattern; design |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sketch”.
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.