Japanese symbol for “trap”
罠
わな
Romaji: wana
trap (for catching animals); snare
In Japanese, trap is 罠, read わな (wana).
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 trap (for catching animals); snare
- n trap; trick; ruse
Written forms: 罠、羂. Readings: わな.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “trap”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| トラップ | トラップ torappu | trap |
| 落とし穴 | おとしあな otoshiana | pitfall; trap; pit |
| 陥れる | おとしいれる otoshiireru | to trap (into a difficult situation); to put (in a fix); to throw (e.g. into turmoil) |
| 術中 | じゅっちゅう jutchuu | trick; trap; stratagem |
| 仕掛け | しかけ shikake | trick; trap; calculated manipulation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 罠網 | わなみ wanami | snare |
| 債務の罠 | さいむのわな saimunowana | debt trap (esp. at national level) |
| 箱罠 | はこわな hakowana | box trap; cage trap |
See also: Chinese symbol for “trap”.
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.