Japanese symbol for “tragedy”
悲劇
ひげき
Romaji: higeki
tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play
In Japanese, tragedy is 悲劇, read ひげき (higeki).
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 tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play
- n tragedy; calamity; disaster
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tragedy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 惨劇 | さんげき sangeki | tragedy; tragic event |
| 惨事 | さんじ sanji | disaster; tragedy; tragic incident |
| ドラマ | ドラマ dorama | drama; dramatic incident; spectacle |
| トラジディー | トラジディー torajidii | tragedy |
| トラジェディー | トラジェディー torajedii | tragedy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲しみ | かなしみ kanashimi | sadness; sorrow; grief |
| 悲惨 | ひさん hisan | disastrous; tragic; miserable |
| 悲鳴 | ひめい himei | shriek; scream |
| 悲しい | かなしい kanashii | sad; miserable; unhappy |
| 悲観 | ひかん hikan | pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement |
| 劇場 | げきじょう gekijou | theatre; theater; playhouse |
| 演劇 | えんげき engeki | drama; theatre; theater |
| 劇的 | げきてき gekiteki | dramatic; exciting; touching |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tragedy”.
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.