Japanese symbol for “straddle”
跨る
またがる
Romaji: matagaru
to mount (a horse, bicycle, etc.); to straddle; to sit astride
In Japanese, straddle is 跨る, read またがる (matagaru).
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
- v5r, vi to mount (a horse, bicycle, etc.); to straddle; to sit astride
- v5r, vi to span (an area, time, etc.); to extend over; to spread over
Written forms: 跨る、股がる、跨がる. Readings: またがる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “straddle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 架かる | かかる kakaru | to span; to bridge; to cross |
| 大股 | おおまた oomata | spreading one's legs wide apart; straddle |
| 跨ぐ | またぐ matagu | to stretch over; to span; to bridge |
| 打ち跨る | うちまたがる uchimatagaru | to mount (e.g. a horse); to straddle; to sit astride |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 跨ぐ | またぐ matagu | to step over; to step across; to stride over |
| 跨ぎ | またぎ matagi | step or stride (over something) |
| 跨線橋 | こせんきょう kosenkyou | bridge over a railroad (esp. a footbridge); overpass |
| 跨道橋 | こどうきょう kodoukyou | overpass |
| 跨座式 | こざしき kozashiki | straddle-beam type |
See also: Chinese symbol for “straddle”.
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.