Japanese symbol for “aunt”
叔母
おば
Romaji: oba
aunt
In Japanese, aunt is 叔母, read おば (oba).
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 aunt
Written forms: 叔母、伯母. Readings: おば、はくぼ、しゅくぼ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “aunt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| アーント | アーント aanto | aunt |
| 伯母さん | おばさん obasan | aunt |
| 伯母者人 | おばじゃひと obajahito | aunt |
| おばはん | おばはん obahan | aunt |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 叔父 | おじ oji | uncle |
| 大叔父 | おおおじ oooji | granduncle |
| 大叔母 | おおおば oooba | grandaunt; great-aunt |
| 伯叔 | はくしゅく hakushuku | brothers; one's father's brothers |
| 叔世 | しゅくせい shukusei | age of decline |
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| お母さん | おかあさん okaasan | mother; mom; mum |
| 祖母 | そぼ sobo | grandmother |
See also: Chinese symbol for “aunt”.
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.