Japanese symbol for “ambush”
待ち伏せ
まちぶせ
Romaji: machibuse
ambush; lying in wait for an ambush
In Japanese, ambush is 待ち伏せ, read まちぶせ (machibuse).
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, vs, vt ambush; lying in wait for an ambush
Written forms: 待ち伏せ、待ちぶせ、待伏せ. Readings: まちぶせ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ambush”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 潜伏 | せんぷく senpuku | concealment; hiding; ambush |
| 伏兵 | ふくへい fukuhei | ambush; troops in ambush |
| 張り込み | はりこみ harikomi | stakeout; ambush; cordon |
| 待ち伏せる | まちぶせる machibuseru | to ambush |
| 要撃 | ようげき yougeki | ambush |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 期待 | きたい kitai | expectation; anticipation; hope |
| 招待 | しょうたい shoutai | invitation |
| 待機 | たいき taiki | standing by; awaiting an opportunity; being on alert |
| 待つ | まつ matsu | to wait |
| 待遇 | たいぐう taiguu | treatment; reception; service |
| 接待 | せったい settai | entertainment (of guests; esp. in the corporate world); treating (to food and drinks); wining and dining |
| 降伏 | こうふく koufuku | surrender; capitulation; submission |
| 潜伏 | せんぷく senpuku | concealment; hiding; ambush |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ambush”.
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.