Japanese symbol for “whale”
鯨
くじら
Romaji: kujira
whale (Cetacea spp.)
In Japanese, whale is 鯨, read くじら (kujira).
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 whale (Cetacea spp.)
Written forms: 鯨. Readings: クジラ、くじら.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “whale”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勇魚 | いさな isana | whale |
| ホエール | ホエール hoeeru | whale |
| 鯨座 | くじらざ kujiraza | Cetus (constellation); the Whale |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 捕鯨 | ほげい hogei | whaling; whale hunting; whale fishing |
| 鯨肉 | げいにく geiniku | whale meat |
| 鯨油 | げいゆ geiyu | whale oil |
| 鯨波 | げいは geiha | raging waves |
| 鯨尺 | くじらじゃく kujirajaku | long foot (approx. 37.9cm) |
| 鯨飲 | げいいん geiin | drinking hard; drinking like a fish |
See also: Chinese symbol for “whale”.
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.