Kanji 八 - eight
Kanji 八 means eight. Onyomi readings are ハチ (hachi) . Kunyomi readings are や (ya), よう (you).
Stroke order animation (2 strokes)
Stroke Order Diagram
Each box shows the kanji up to that stroke. Red dot indicates stroke start point.
Readings of 八
音On'yomi (音読み)
訓Kun'yomi (訓読み)
八 in different fonts
Vocabulary with 八
| Audio | English  | Romaji | Japanese | Kana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eight | hachi | 八 | はち | |
| August | hachigatsu | 八月 | はちがつ |
More Information about 八
Common words with 八 (hachi)
- 八つ (yattsu)（やっつ）: eight (general counter)
- 八人 (hachinin)（はちにん）: eight people
- 八月 (hachigatsu)（はちがつ）: August
- 八日 (yōka)（ようか）: the 8th day; eight days
- 八角形 (hakkakukei)（はっかくけい）: octagon
- 八百屋 (yaoya)（やおや）: greengrocer (literally “800 shop,” a set term)
- 八分 (happun)（はっぷん）: eight minutes (note the sound change)
Cultural note: why is 八 (hachi) seen as lucky?
Because 八 (hachi) widens toward the bottom, it symbolizes 末広がり (suehirogari)（すえひろがり）—things spreading out in a good way, like growth and prosperity. You may see 8 used in celebratory names, prices, or room numbers.
Cultural/official form: what is 捌 (hachi)?
In formal money writing, Japanese sometimes use special number forms (大字・だいじ (daiji)) to prevent tampering. The daiji for 八 (hachi) is 捌 (hachi). It’s complex and hard to alter, so it appears on receipts, invoices, and contracts. Example: 捌万円 (hachi man'en) (80,000 yen).
Idioms and expressions with 八 (hachi)
- 四苦八苦 (shikuhakku)（しくはっく）: struggling greatly; in real trouble
- 八方美人 (happōbijin)（はっぽうびじん）: trying to please everyone (people-pleaser)
- 八つ当たり (yatsuatari)（やつあたり）: taking out anger on someone else
- 八百長 (yaochō)（やおちょう）: a fixed match (especially in sports)
- 八面六臂 (hachimenroppi)（はちめんろっぴ）: being amazingly active/effective on many fronts
Pronunciation tips (sound changes with 八 (hachi))
Before some consonants, ハチ (hachi) changes to ハッ (ha'). Examples: 八分 (happun)（はっぷん）, 八回 (hakkai)（はっかい）, 八階 (hakkai)（はっかい）, 八角 (hakkaku)（はっかく）. For dates, remember the 8th is ようか (yōka), not はちにち (hachinichi).
