Japanese symbol for “skin”
肌
はだ
Romaji: hada
skin
In Japanese, skin is 肌, read はだ (hada).
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 skin
- n body (in the context of intimate bodily contact)
- n, n-suf surface; grain (e.g. of wood); texture
- n, n-suf disposition; temperament; character; type
Written forms: 肌、膚. Readings: はだ、はだえ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “skin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 皮 | かわ kawa | skin; hide; pelt |
| 皮膚 | ひふ hifu | skin |
| 毛皮 | けがわ kegawa | fur; skin; pelt |
| スキン | スキン sukin | skin |
| 人肌 | ひとはだ hitohada | the skin (of a human being) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 肌寒い | はださむい hadasamui | chilly; unpleasantly cold |
| 肌色 | はだいろ hadairo | flesh colour (of a Japanese person); flesh color; pale orange |
| 肌着 | はだぎ hadagi | underwear; underclothes; lingerie |
| 地肌 | じはだ jihada | texture; grain |
| 肌触り | はだざわり hadazawari | feel; touch; texture |
| 鳥肌 | とりはだ torihada | goosebumps; gooseflesh; goose pimples |
See also: Chinese symbol for “skin”.
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.