Kanji 八 Words: Meanings and Readings

the four and eight kinds of suffering (birth, old age, disease, death, parting from loved ones, meeting disliked ones, not getting what one seeks, pains of the five skandha)

八百万

やおよろず

myriad

八景

はっけい

eight picturesque sights

胸突八丁

むなつきはっちょう

the most trying spot or period

村八分

むらはちぶ

complete ostracism of a household (the harshest punishment in Edo-period village law)

インド八哥

インドはっか

common myna (Acridotheres tristis)

うそ八百

うそはっぴゃく

pack of lies

ウラン-２３８

ウランにひゃくさんじゅうはち

uranium-238 (U-238)

グーグル八分

グーグルはちぶ

(of a website) being delisted or censored by the Google search engine

シベリア八目

シベリアやつめ

Siberian brook lamprey (Lethenteron kessleri)

なくて七癖あって四十八癖

なくてななくせあってしじゅうはっくせ

every person has their eccentricities

はちぶんぎ座

はちぶんぎざ

Octans (constellation)

やっとか目

やっとかめ

a long time (since the last time)

一かばちか

いちかばちか

sink or swim

一一八番

ひゃくじゅうはちばん

118 (maritime emergency telephone number in Japan)

一人尺八

ひとりしゃくはち

autofellatio

一八

チーハ

chee fah

一八

いちはつ

wall iris

嘘っぱち

うそっぱち

total lie

嘘っ八百

うそっぱっぴゃく

full of lies

永字八法

えいじはっぽう

Eight Principles of Yong

黄八丈

きはちじょう

yellow silk cloth with a dark striped or checkered pattern (from Hachijo island)

歌舞伎十八番

かぶきじゅうはちばん

repertoire of 18 kabuki plays

勘八

かんぱち

greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

関東十八檀林

かんとうじゅうはちだんりん

eighteen centers of Buddhist learning (of the Pure Land sect in the Kanto region)

関東八州

かんとうはっしゅう

the eight Edo-period provinces of Kanto (Sagami, Musashi, Awa, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, Kouzuke and Shimotsuke)

関八州

かんはっしゅう

the eight Edo-period provinces of Kanto (Sagami, Musashi, Awa, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, Kouzuke and Shimotsuke)

丸八

まるはち

Cyathea mertensiana (species of tree fern)

丸八証券

まるはちしょうけん

Maruhachi Securities

旗本八万騎

はたもとはちまんき

the shogun's eighty thousand guards, comprising hatamoto and lower-ranking vassals

鬼も十八

おにもじゅうはち

even homely girls look beautiful at the peak of their youth

鬼も十八番茶も出花

おにもじゅうはちばんちゃもでばな

just as even coarse tea tastes good when fresh, even homely girls look beautiful at the peak of their youth

弓矢八幡

ゆみやはちまん

god of war

熊さん八っつあん

くまさんはっつあん

the average Joe

熊公八公

くまこうはちこう

the average Joe

五時八教

ごじはっきょう

division of the Buddha's 50-year teachings into five time periods and eight categories (theory of the Tendai sect)

口も八丁手も八丁

くちもはっちょうてもはっちょう

both eloquent and skilled

口八丁

くちはっちょう

voluble

口八丁手八丁

くちはっちょうてはっちょう

both eloquent and skilled

黒八丈

くろはちじょう

thick black silk from Hachijo Island

砂八目

すなやつめ

Far Eastern brook lamprey (Lethenteron reissneri)

三時のおやつ

さんじのおやつ

afternoon refreshment

三八

さんぱち

Arisaka Type 38 rifle

三八式歩兵銃

さんぱちしきほへいじゅう

Arisaka Type 38 rifle

四国八十八箇所

しこくはちじゅうはっかしょ

88 temples of Shikoku (holy spots related to Kobo Daishi)

四十八手

しじゅうはって

every trick in the book

四通八達

しつうはったつ

traffic network extending in all directions

四方八方

しほうはっぽう

in all directions

七花八裂

しちかはちれつ

being torn to pieces

七重のひざを八重に折る

ななえのひざをやえにおる

to humbly implore

七転八起

しちてんはっき

the vicissitudes of life

七転八倒

しちてんばっとう

tossing oneself about in great pain

七難八苦

しちなんはっく

a series of disasters

手八丁

てはっちょう

eloquence

手八丁口八丁

てはっちょうくちはっちょう

eloquent and skilled (worker)

十中八九

じっちゅうはっく

in 8 or 9 cases out of ten

十八界

じゅうはちかい

eighteen components of perception (six sense objects, six sense faculties, six sense consciousnesses)

十八禁

じゅうはちきん

18 certificate

十八金

じゅうはちきん

18-carat gold

十八銀行

じゅうはちぎんこう

Eighteenth Bank, Limited

十八檀林

じゅうはちだんりん

eighteen centers of Buddhist learning (of the Pure Land sect in the Kanto region)

十八羅漢

じゅうはちらかん

the eighteen arhats

焼けのやんぱち

やけのやんぱち

(sense of) desperation

身八つ

みやつ

small opening in the side of some traditional Japanese clothing (located where the sleeve meets the bodice, below the armpit)

身八つ口

みやつぐち

small opening in the side of some traditional Japanese clothing for women and children (e.g. kimono, yukata) (located where the sleeve meets the bodice, below the armpit)