Japanese crochet abbreviations
Author: Crochetly · Last updated: May 16, 2026
Sources: Japanese crochet publications, Craft Yarn Council
Reading a Japanese crochet pattern? Japanese patterns rely on visual symbols more than written abbreviations. This guide covers the symbols, Romaji, and Japanese characters you need.
Always check the pattern’s stitch key (記號の説明) for the exact abbreviations and symbols used.
What Japanese crochet schematic symbols should I learn first?
Section titled “What Japanese crochet schematic symbols should I learn first?”Japanese patterns use universal symbols like ○ (chain), ⊕ (single crochet), and T with slashes (double/treble crochet). These symbols work across languages once learned.
Japanese crochet patterns use universal symbols that can be understood across languages once learned. These symbols are the primary method of instruction in Japanese pattern books.
| Symbol | Japanese Term | Romaji | English Equivalent | US Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ○ | 鎖 | kusari | chain stitch | ch |
| ⊕ or + | 細編み | hosoi-ami | single crochet | sc |
| T with one slash | 長編み | naga-ami | double crochet | dc |
| T with two slashes | 長々編み | naganaga-ami | treble crochet | tr |
| Small filled dot | 引き抜き編み | hikinuki-ami | slip stitch | sl st |
| V shape | 増し目 | mashime | increase | inc |
| ∧ or /\ | 減らし目 | herashime | decrease | dec |
| Oval or long loop | 作り目 | tsukurime | foundation chain | — |
What are the most common Japanese crochet abbreviations?
Section titled “What are the most common Japanese crochet abbreviations?”Japanese patterns use Romaji like hosoi-ami (single crochet) and naga-ami (double crochet) alongside kanji characters. The table below maps them side-by-side.
| Abbreviation | Japanese Characters | Description (Japanese terminology) | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
kusari | 鎖 | chain stitch | chain |
hikinuki-ami | 引き抜き編み | slip stitch | slip stitch |
hosoi-ami | 細編み | single crochet | single crochet |
han-hosoi-ami | 半細編み | half double crochet | half double crochet |
naga-ami | 長編み | double crochet | double crochet |
naganaga-ami | 長々編み | treble crochet | treble crochet |
mashime | 増し目 | increase | increase |
herashime | 減らし目 | decrease | decrease |
me | 目 | stitch | stitch |
dan | 段 | row/round | row/round |
awase | 合わせ | together | together |
tobi | 飛ばし | skip | skip |
maguro | 円 | circle/ring | circle/ring |
kago | 籠 | basket weave | basket weave |
What are the Japanese foundation and construction terms?
Section titled “What are the Japanese foundation and construction terms?”Japanese patterns use kusari (鎖) for chain, tsukurime (作り目) for foundation chain, and dan (段) for row/round. These terms describe how a project begins.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鎖 | 鎖 | kusari | chain stitch | chain |
| 作り目 | 作り目 | tsukurime | foundation chain | foundation chain |
| 目 | 目 | me | stitch | stitch |
| 段 | 段 | dan | row/round | row/round |
| 輪 | 輪 | wa | ring | ring |
| 円 | 円 | en | circle | circle |
| 始め | 始め | hajime | beginning | beginning |
| 次 | 次 | tsugi | next | next |
| 前 | 前 | mae | before/previous | before/previous |
| 後 | 後 | ato | after | after |
What are the Japanese terms for stitch placement?
Section titled “What are the Japanese terms for stitch placement?”me to me no aida (目と目の間) means between stitches, omote-gawa (表側) is right side, and ura-gawa (裏側) is wrong side. These tell you where to work.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 目数 | 目数 | mesuu | stitch count | stitch count |
| 段数 | 段数 | dansuu | row count | row count |
| 目と目の間 | 目と目の間 | me to me no aida | between stitches | between stitches |
| 前の段 | 前の段 | mae no dan | previous row | previous row |
| 鎖目 | 鎖目 | kusari-me | chain stitch | chain stitch |
| 輪に編む | 輪に編む | wa ni amu | work in round | work in round |
| 表側 | 表側 | omote-gawa | right side | right side |
| 裏側 | 裏側 | ura-gawa | wrong side | wrong side |
What are the basic stitch names in Japanese?
Section titled “What are the basic stitch names in Japanese?”hosoi-ami (細編み) is single crochet, naga-ami (長編み) is double crochet, and naganaga-ami (長々編み) is treble crochet. Each has a kanji character, Romaji reading, and schematic symbol.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Symbol | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 細編み | 細編み | hosoi-ami | ⊕/+ | single crochet | single crochet |
| 半細編み | 半細編み | han-hosoi-ami | T with half slash | half double crochet | half double crochet |
| 長編み | 長編み | naga-ami | T with one slash | double crochet | double crochet |
| 長々編み | 長々編み | naganaga-ami | T with two slashes | treble crochet | treble crochet |
| 引き抜き編み | 引き抜き編み | hikinuki-ami | ● | slip stitch | slip stitch |
| 鎖編み | 鎖編み | kusari-ami | ○ | chain stitch | chain stitch |
How do Japanese patterns express increases and decreases?
Section titled “How do Japanese patterns express increases and decreases?”mashime (増し目) with symbol V means increase, herashime (減らし目) with symbol ∧ means decrease. Japanese uses intuitive symbols that are easy to recognize at a glance.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Symbol | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 増し目 | 増し目 | mashime | V | increase | increase |
| 減らし目 | 減らし目 | herashime | ∧/\ | decrease | decrease |
| 2目一度 | 2目一度 | futa-me ichido | ∧ | 2 stitches together | 2 together |
| 3目一度 | 3目一度 | mit-me ichido | ∧ | 3 stitches together | 3 together |
What are the Japanese names for special stitches?
Section titled “What are the Japanese names for special stitches?”tama-ami (玉編み) is bobble stitch, sheru-sutetchi (シェルステッチ) is shell stitch, and poppu-kōn (ポップコーン) is popcorn stitch. Many special stitch names are Japanese adaptations of English terms.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 玉編み | 玉編み | tama-ami | bobble stitch | bobble |
| パプーンステッチ | パプーンステッチ | papun-sutetchi | puff stitch | puff stitch |
| シェルステッチ | シェルステッチ | sheru-sutetchi | shell stitch | shell |
| ポップコーン | ポップコーン | poppu-kōn | popcorn stitch | popcorn |
What common pattern instructions appear in Japanese crochet patterns?
Section titled “What common pattern instructions appear in Japanese crochet patterns?”ami-susumeru (編み進める) means continue crocheting, ami-owari (編み終わり) means fasten off, and ito o kaeru (糸を変える) means change yarn. These verbs appear in the text instructions of Japanese patterns.
| Japanese Term | Characters | Romaji | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 編み進める | 編み進める | ami-susumeru | continue crocheting | continue |
| 編み終わり | 編み終わり | ami-owari | finish off | fasten off |
| 糸を変える | 糸を変える | ito o kaeru | change yarn | change color |
| 休める | 休める | yasumeru | leave stitch unworked | skip |
| 引き抜く | 引き抜く | hikinuku | pull through | pull through |
| とじる | とじる | tojiru | sew together | sew together |
| 糸始末 | 糸始末 | ito-shimatsu | weave in ends | weave in ends |
How are numbers written in Japanese crochet patterns?
Section titled “How are numbers written in Japanese crochet patterns?”Japanese uses kanji characters for numbers: 一 (1), 二 (2), 三 (3), etc., combined with 目 (me) for stitch count. Understanding these characters is essential for following stitch counts.
Japanese patterns use specific characters for counting and numbering:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | ichi | one | 1目 (1 stitch) |
| 二 | ni | two | 2目 (2 stitches) |
| 三 | san | three | 3目 (3 stitches) |
| 四 | shi/yon | four | 4目 (4 stitches) |
| 五 | go | five | 5目 (5 stitches) |
| 六 | roku | six | 6目 (6 stitches) |
| 七 | shichi/nana | seven | 7目 (7 stitches) |
| 八 | hachi | eight | 8目 (8 stitches) |
| 九 | kyū/ku | nine | 9目 (9 stitches) |
| 十 | jū | ten | 10目 (10 stitches) |
| 目 | me | stitch(es) | 5目 = 5 stitches |
| 段 | dan | row/round | 3段目 = 3rd row/round |
What common Japanese phrases appear in crochet patterns?
Section titled “What common Japanese phrases appear in crochet patterns?”“kusari o amu” (鎖を編む) means “chain X” and “wa ni amu” (輪に編む) means “work in round.” These phrases help you read complete Japanese crochet instructions.
| Japanese Phrase | Characters | Romaji | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鎖を編む | 鎖を編む | kusari o amu | chain X |
| 細編みを編む | 細編みを編む | hosoi-ami o amu | single crochet X |
| 目と目の間に編む | 目と目の間に編む | me to me no aida ni amu | work between stitches |
| 輪に編む | 輪に編む | wa ni amu | work in round |
| 表側を向く | 表側を向く | omote-gawa o muku | right side facing |
| 糸を処理する | 糸を処理する | ito o shori suru | weave in ends |
What should I know before reading a Japanese crochet pattern?
Section titled “What should I know before reading a Japanese crochet pattern?”Japanese patterns are symbol-heavy with minimal text, read right-to-left in traditional layouts, and use universal international symbols. Learning the symbols is more important than memorizing text abbreviations.
Japanese crochet patterns have some unique characteristics:
- Symbol-heavy: Most instructions are given through symbols rather than text
- Right-to-left reading: Traditional Japanese text is read vertically, right-to-left
- Universal symbols: The crochet symbols used are international and can be learned once
- Minimal text: Instructions are often very concise, assuming symbol knowledge
- Diagrams: Patterns typically include detailed construction diagrams
How do Japanese crochet terms convert to US and UK English?
Section titled “How do Japanese crochet terms convert to US and UK English?”Japanese hosoi-ami (細編み) = US single crochet = UK double crochet. Japanese naga-ami (長編み) = US double crochet = UK treble crochet. Use this table to translate between Japanese and English patterns.
This table provides quick conversion between Japanese terms and their US/UK equivalents:
| Japanese Term | US Equivalent | UK Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 細編み (hosoi-ami) | single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| 長編み (naga-ami) | double crochet (dc) | treble crochet (tr) |
| 半細編み (han-hosoi-ami) | half double crochet (hdc) | half treble crochet (htr) |
| 長々編み (naganaga-ami) | treble crochet (tr) | double treble crochet (dtr) |
| 引き抜き編み (hikinuki-ami) | slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (sl st) |
| 鎖 (kusari) | chain (ch) | chain (ch) |
⚠️ Note: Japanese patterns rely heavily on universal symbols. Learning these symbols is more important than memorizing text abbreviations for reading Japanese crochet patterns successfully.