Ball in Japanese
"ball" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
玉
tama
5 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "ball". The most common choice is shown first.
Top pick
ball, sphere
Reading: kyuu
11 strokes
Where it comes from
Composed of jade and seek. Sought jade.
What it carries
Earth, baseball, sphere. Represents round shape.
Related kanji for "ball"
ball
kiku
Composed of leather and phonetic. Ball made of leather.
ball
gyoku · beautiful
Shape of jade strung on cord. Jewel.
ball
kyuu
Combines 'hair/fur' (毛) with 'seek' (求), representing balls made of fur. Familiar as traditional hand balls.
ball
heki
Combines 'flat' (辟) with 'jade' (玉), representing flat disc-shaped gems. Origin of the word for 'perfect.'
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for ball?
The most common kanji for "ball" is 球, read as kyuu. It means ball, sphere. Related kanji: 鞠 (ball), 玉 (ball), 毬 (ball), 璧 (ball).
How many strokes does 球 have?
球 has 11 strokes.