Japanese symbol for “yap”
吠える
ほえる
Romaji: hoeru
to bark; to howl; to bay; to roar
In Japanese, yap is 吠える, read ほえる (hoeru).
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
- v1, vi to bark; to howl; to bay; to roar; to yelp; to yap
- v1, vi to howl (of the wind); to roar (of the sea)
- v1, vi to yell; to shout; to cry; to moan
Written forms: 吠える、吼える、咆える. Readings: ほえる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “yap”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| キャン | キャン kyan | yelp; yap; yipe |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遠吠え | とおぼえ tooboe | (distant) howling; howl |
| 吠え面 | ほえづら hoezura | tearful face |
| 吠え声 | ほえごえ hoegoe | bark; howl; roar |
| 吠え出す | ほえだす hoedasu | to give mouth; to bark |
| 吠え付く | ほえつく hoetsuku | to bark at and chase |
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.