Japanese symbol for “sternum”
胸骨
きょうこつ
Romaji: kyoukotsu
breastbone; sternum
In Japanese, sternum is 胸骨, read きょうこつ (kyoukotsu).
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
- adj-no, n breastbone; sternum
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sternum”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 胸甲 | きょうこう kyoukou | sternum; breastplate; plastron |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 度胸 | どきょう dokyou | courage; bravery; pluck |
| 胸部 | きょうぶ kyoubu | chest; breast |
| 胸元 | むなもと munamoto | breast; chest |
| 胸像 | きょうぞう kyouzou | bust (sculpture); half-length portrait |
| 胸中 | きょうちゅう kyouchuu | one's heart; one's mind; one's intentions |
| 胸襟 | きょうきん kyoukin | one's heart |
| 骨折 | こっせつ kossetsu | bone fracture |
| 露骨 | ろこつ rokotsu | open; unconcealed; undisguised |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sternum”.
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.