Japanese symbol for “ache”
痛み
いたみ
Romaji: itami
pain; ache; soreness; grief
In Japanese, ache is 痛み, read いたみ (itami).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n pain; ache; soreness; grief; distress
- n damage; injury; wear; bruise; break
Written forms: 痛み、傷み. Readings: いたみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ache”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛む | いたむ itamu | to hurt; to ache; to feel a pain |
| 痛 | つう tsuu | pain; ache; -algia |
| 疼き | うずき uzuki | ache; twinge |
| 疼く | うずく uzuku | to throb (with pain); to ache; to smart |
| 病める | やめる yameru | to hurt; to ache |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛い | いたい itai | painful; sore |
| 頭痛 | ずつう zutsuu | headache |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 痛烈 | つうれつ tsuuretsu | severe; bitter; scathing |
| 痛感 | つうかん tsuukan | feeling keenly; fully realizing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ache”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.