Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of person dancing with mask. Summer festival dance.
Symbolism
Summer, heat, vitality. Symbolizes Japanese summer festival culture.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Bustling summer festival
Seasonal
Season from June to August. Symbolizes vitality, passion, dynamism. Time of fireworks, festivals, swimming. In haiku, represents heat and life force.
Words & Expressions
Words written with 夏
Four-Character Compounds
夏炉冬扇
かろとうせん
summer fires and winter fans; useless things
春夏秋冬
しゅんかしゅうとう
spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
Poetry
春すぎて 夏来にけらし 白妙の 衣ほすてふ 天の香具山
Spring has gone and summer seems to have come — white robes are spread to dry, they say, on Mount Amanokagu.
夏の夜は まだ宵ながら 明けぬるを 雲のいづこに 月やどるらむ
On a summer night dawn breaks while it still feels like evening. In which cloud, then, has the moon taken lodging?
風そよぐ ならの小川の 夕暮れは みそぎぞ夏の しるしなりける
At dusk by the Nara brook, where the wind stirs the oak leaves, only the purification rite shows that it is still summer.
夏草や兵どもが夢の跡
Summer grasses — all that is left of the warriors' dreams.
Anime & Manga
光が死んだ夏
The Summer Hikaru Died
A well-known work with 夏 in its Japanese title.
夏目友人帳
Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1
A well-known work with 夏 in its Japanese title.
夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes
A well-known work with 夏 in its Japanese title.
あの夏で待ってる
Waiting in the Summer
A well-known work with 夏 in its Japanese title.
風夏
Fuuka
A well-known work with 夏 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
夏目雅子
Name contains 夏
Masako Natsume was a Japanese actress from Tokyo.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
“summer”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 夏 mean in Japanese?
夏 means summer.
How do you read 夏?
On'yomi: カ、ガ、ゲ (KA, GA, GE). Kun'yomi: なつ (natsu).
How many strokes does 夏 have?
夏 has 10 strokes. Its radical is 夊 (go slowly).
Is 夏 a good kanji for a tattoo?
夏 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means summer. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:summer