Japanese symbol for “sodomy”
男色
だんしょく
Romaji: danshoku
male homosexuality; sodomy
In Japanese, sodomy is 男色, read だんしょく (danshoku).
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 male homosexuality; sodomy
- n male prostitute
Written forms: 男色. Readings: だんしょく、なんしょく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sodomy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ソドミー | ソドミー sodomii | sodomy |
| 獣姦 | じゅうかん juukan | bestiality; zooerastia; sodomy |
| 鶏姦 | けいかん keikan | homosexual sex between males; buggery; sodomy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 男性 | だんせい dansei | man; male |
| 男子 | だんし danshi | boy |
| 男女 | だんじょ danjo | men and women; man and woman; both sexes |
| 男の子 | おとこのこ otokonoko | boy; son; baby boy |
| 長男 | ちょうなん chounan | eldest son (may be the only son); first-born son |
| 男爵 | だんしゃく danshaku | baron |
| 黄色 | きいろ kiiro | yellow; amber |
| 色彩 | しきさい shikisai | colour; color; hue |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sodomy”.
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.