Japanese symbol for “slaves”
奴婢
ぬひ
Romaji: nuhi
slaves (lowest class in the ritsuryō system); bondservants
In Japanese, slaves is 奴婢, read ぬひ (nuhi).
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 slaves (lowest class in the ritsuryō system); bondservants
- n male and female servants; manservants and maids
Written forms: 奴婢. Readings: ぬひ、どひ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “slaves”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 生口 | せいこう seikou | slaves |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奴隷 | どれい dorei | slave; servant |
| 奴ら | やつら yatsura | they; those guys |
| 売国奴 | ばいこくど baikokudo | traitor (to one's country); quisling |
| 奴等 | めら mera | pluralizing suffix |
| 彼奴 | あいつ aitsu | he; she; that guy |
| 此奴 | こいつ koitsu | he; she; this fellow |
| 下婢 | かひ kahi | servant girl |
| 侍婢 | じひ jihi | lady-in-waiting; female attendant |
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.