Japanese symbol for “apply”
塗る
ぬる
Romaji: nuru
to paint; to spread; to plaster; to apply (cream, lotion)
In Japanese, apply is 塗る, read ぬる (nuru).
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
- v5r, vt to paint; to spread; to plaster; to apply (cream, lotion); to smear; to lacquer
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “apply”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 当てはまる | あてはまる atehamaru | to apply (of a rule); to be applicable (of standards, lessons, ideas, etc.); to hold true (e.g. of a description) |
| 当てる | あてる ateru | to apply (e.g. patch); to put on; to put against |
| 掛ける | かける kakeru | to apply (insurance) |
| 付ける | つける tsukeru | to attach; to join; to connect |
| 申し出る | もうしでる moushideru | to offer; to propose; to suggest |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 塗装 | とそう tosou | coating; painting |
| 塗料 | とりょう toryou | paint; coating; varnish |
| 塗布 | とふ tofu | application (of ointment, etc.) |
| 塗り | ぬり nuri | coating (esp. lacquering) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “apply”.
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.