Japanese symbol for “adore”
慕う
したう
Romaji: shitau
to yearn for; to long for; to pine for; to miss
In Japanese, adore is 慕う, read したう (shitau).
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
- v5u, vt to yearn for; to long for; to pine for; to miss; to love dearly; to adore
- v5u, vt to follow (someone)
- v5u, vt to idolize (for virtue, learning, status, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “adore”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 憧れる | あこがれる akogareru | to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after |
| 好きすぎる | すきすぎる sukisugiru | to like too much; to like to excess; to adore |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 思慕 | しぼ shibo | yearning; longing for; deep affection |
| 慕情 | ぼじょう bojou | longing; yearning |
| 恋慕 | れんぼ renbo | love; attachment; tender emotions |
| 横恋慕 | よこれんぼ yokorenbo | illicit love |
| 追慕 | ついぼ tsuibo | cherishing the memory of; yearning for |
See also: Chinese symbol for “adore”.
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.