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Tanaka 田中 – Japanese surname

Tanaka (田中) is read たなか and has 3 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 田中, the characters mean: rice field + in. This reading can be written with at least 8 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 9 to 15 strokes in total.

About the name Tanaka

Tanaka (田中) means "in the middle of the rice fields". It is among the most common surnames in Japan.

How to write Tanaka in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
田中	たなか	rice field + in	9
多中	たなか	many + in	10
他中	たなか	other + in	9
田仲	たなか	rice field + go-between	11
多仲	たなか	many + go-between	12
棚下	たなか	shelf + below	15

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Tanaka

田

rice field, rice paddy

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: デン Kun: た

中

in, inside, middle, mean

4 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: チュウ Kun: なか、うち、あた

多

many, frequent, much

6 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: タ Kun: おお、まさ

他

other, another, the others

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: タ Kun: ほか

Tanaka in different scripts

Romaji	Tanaka
Hiragana	たなか
Katakana	タナカ
Kanji (most common)	田中

Full name examples

Ayumi Tanaka (Japanese order: 田中歩美, たなかあゆみ)
Yurina Tanaka (Japanese order: 田中百合奈, たなかゆりな)
Yuki Tanaka (Japanese order: 田中結城, たなかゆうき)

How to pronounce Tanaka

Break it into 3 parts: ta · na · ka. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written たなか.

Questions about Tanaka

What does Tanaka mean in Japanese?

Tanaka has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 田中, combines these meanings: rice field + in. Other spellings include 多中 (many + in), 他中 (other + in), 田仲 (rice field + go-between).

How do you write Tanaka in kanji?

The most common way is 田中 (たなか). It can also be written 多中, 他中, 田仲, 多仲, 棚下.

How do you write Tanaka in katakana?

Tanaka is タナカ in katakana and たなか in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Tanaka?

Tanaka is read たなか and has 3 syllables (morae).

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Themes: Nature

Other surnames that use 田

田: rice field, rice paddy

Aida 会田 Eda 会田 Fujita 藤田 Fukuda 福田 Goda 後田 Hada 八田 Handa 反田 Harada 原田 Harita 治田 Hata 八田 Hirata 開田 Hiroka 田中

Names with a similar sound

Tanabe 田部 Tanami 田南 Tanbo 田方 Taniguchi 谷口 Tano 田生 Tanpo 反方

Similar last names by meaning

Agata 安方 Aida 会田 Aijima 会島 Aikawa 会川 Aishima 会島 Akagi 明木 Akaki 明木 Amagai 天海