Japanese symbol for “wall”
壁
かべ
Romaji: kabe
wall; partition
In Japanese, wall is 壁, read かべ (kabe).
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 wall; partition
- n barrier; obstacle; hindrance; difficulty
- n Chinese "Wall" constellation (one of the 28 mansions) (astron)
- n wall (of stones) (go)
Written forms: 壁. Readings: かべ、へき.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wall”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 塀 | へい hei | wall |
| 山 | やま yama | wall; wall tile |
| 囲い | かこい kakoi | enclosure; fence; wall |
| ウォール | ウォール wooru | wall |
| 岩場 | いわば iwaba | rocky area; rocky tract; rocky stretch (of a climb) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 壁紙 | かべがみ kabegami | wallpaper |
| 障壁 | しょうへき shouheki | enclosing wall; boundary fence |
| 外壁 | がいへき gaiheki | outer wall |
| 壁画 | へきが hekiga | fresco; mural; wall painting |
| 壁面 | へきめん hekimen | surface of a wall |
| 城壁 | じょうへき jouheki | castle wall; town walls; defensive wall |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wall”.
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.