‘Dragon Ball’: What does Goku mean in Japanese?

The lead character of the manga run and anime series Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Goku, might very well be one of the most infamous anime icons of all time. Goku is a Saiyan raised on Earth, the youngest son of Bardock and Gine, the husband of Chi-Chi, and the father of Gohan and Goten. Throughout the series, Goku has strived to become the most powerful warrior ever, saving the Earth from imminent destruction multiple times.

When he was adopted by Grandpa Gohan, our lovable protagonist was given the name Son Goku. Son is the family name Goku inherited from Gohan; Goku is often referred as Goku San, Son Goku San, Goku-Sa (By Chi-Chi), and Son Kun (Usually by Bulma).

‘San’ in Japanese culture is the equivalent of Mr./Ms. in English. It is often used to refer to the elderly or someone with a higher social status than yourself, such as your grandparents. Usually, wiser individuals — like mentors — would be ‘(first name) San.’

When broken down, the two syllables in Goku’s name have very different individual meanings. Together, it is commonly believed that the name ‘Goku’ in Japanese is roughly translated to “aware of emptiness.” However, the separate syllables ‘Go’ and ‘ku’ have different meanings on their own, which — when combined — roughly translate to a similar, yet slightly different overall meaning.

The kanji for Goku’s name, 悟空, can be read multiple ways. 悟, or “go,” can be read as “perceiving,” “seeing,” “understanding,” etc, while 空, or “ku,” can be read as “sky,” “void,” “empty,” etc. So things like “perceiving the void” or similar such readings, when they’re combined, is possible. Additionally, Goku is a translation of the Chinese name Sun Wukong, the protagonist of the novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en, meaning “Monkey King”.

Meanwhile, Goku’s birth name, Kakarotto, is a pun on the word ‘carrot.’ Goku’s family, like most Saiyans, are named after root vegetables, i.e. burdock, leek, radish, etc.

Crunchyroll will be releasing 15 Dragon Ball movies during the months of June and July, so if there were ever a sign for a rewatch, this is it.