Japanese symbol for “weasel”
鼬
いたち
Romaji: itachi
weasel (esp. the Japanese weasel, Mustela itatsi)
In Japanese, weasel is 鼬, read いたち (itachi).
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 weasel (esp. the Japanese weasel, Mustela itatsi)
- n mustelid (any mammal of family Mustelidae)
Written forms: 鼬、鼬鼠. Readings: イタチ、いたち.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “weasel”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ウィーゼル | ウィーゼル wiizeru | weasel |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鎌鼬 | かまいたち kamaitachi | cut in the skin caused by a vacuum formed by a whirlwind |
| 鼬ごっこ | いたちごっこ itachigokko | going round in circles; game of cat and mouse; pointless and repetitive back-and-forth |
| 鼬鮫 | いたちざめ itachizame | tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) |
| 毛長鼬 | けながいたち kenagaitachi | polecat (Mustela putorius); ferret; fitch |
| 鼬魚 | いたちうお itachiuo | goatsbeard brotula (species of ophidiiform fish, Brotula multibarbata) |
| 朝鮮鼬 | ちょうせんいたち chousen'itachi | Korean yellow weasel (Mustela sibirica coreana) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “weasel”.
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.