Japanese symbol for “trail”
手がかり
てがかり
Romaji: tegakari
clue; lead; key; trail
In Japanese, trail is 手がかり, read てがかり (tegakari).
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 clue; lead; key; trail; scent; track
- n handhold; hold
Written forms: 手がかり、手掛かり、手懸かり、手掛り. Readings: てがかり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “trail”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| コース | コース koosu | course; route; trail |
| 引きずる | ひきずる hikizuru | to drag; to trail; to pull along the ground |
| トレイル | トレイル toreiru | trail |
| 散歩道 | さんぽみち sanpomichi | promenade; walk; path |
| 足取り | あしどり ashidori | trace (e.g. of route taken by hunted criminal); track; trail |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
See also: Chinese symbol for “trail”.
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.