The Japanese kanji for dragon: 龍
漢字 Kanji 22 of 40
The kanji for dragon: 龍
The old, full form of 竜. Dragons in Japan bring rain and guard temples.
龍
- Meaning
- dragon
- Kun reading
- tatsu (Japanese)
- On reading
- RYŪ · RYŌ (from Chinese)
- Strokes
- 16
書き順Stroke order
龍 is written in 16 strokes, in this order. The red line is the new stroke at each step. Japanese is written top to bottom and left to right, and the order matters: it is what makes handwriting flow.
Stroke data from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
使い方In everyday Japanese
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 龍神 | ryūjin | the dragon god of water |
| 昇龍 | shōryū | a rising dragon |
敬意Wearing it
The old, formal form of dragon; everyday Japanese uses 竜. Bold, and very common on souvenir and tattoo designs, so it's worth styling it your own way.
Every kanji in 5C5V Studio is checked for meaning and context. Read our Respect Notes.
工房 Made just for you
Wear 龍
Open 5C5V Studio, pick 龍 from the kanji, choose a tee, hoodie, cap or beanie, and see it mocked up before you buy. Printed or embroidered, made to order.