King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “bacterium”

Romaji: saikin
bacterium; bacteria; germ

In Japanese, bacterium is , read (saikin).

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

  1. n bacterium; bacteria; germ

Kanji and stroke order

dainty, get thin, taper
on: サイ
kun: ほそ.い、ほそ.る、こま.か、こま.かい
11 strokes · JLPT 2
germ, fungus, bacteria
on: キン
11 strokes · JLPT 1

Other Japanese words for “bacterium”

WordReadingMeaning
きん kingerm; bacterium; bacillus

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
しょうさい shousaidetails; particulars; specifics
さいぼう saiboucell
こまかい komakaismall
ほそい hosoithin; slender; fine
せんさい sensaidainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine
さっきん sakkinsterilization; sterilisation; disinfection
むきん mukinsterilised; sterilized; sterile
こうきん koukinantibacterial; antimicrobial

See also: Chinese symbol for “bacterium”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Buying Chanbara Swords for Sparring and Competition
  2. What Size Shinai Does a Child Need for Kendo Practice
  3. Best Polypropylene Bokken for Hard Contact Training
  4. Best Foam Swords for Kids Martial Arts and Safe Practice
  5. Are Cold Steel Training Swords Good for Practice
  6. Shinai Maintenance and Essential Tools for Bamboo Care
  7. Best Shinai for Kendo Beginners Choosing Your First Sword
  8. Choosing the Best Bokken for Kendo Kata
  9. Using a Tsuba on Your Bokken for Partner Practice
  10. How Much Should You Spend on a Wooden Practice Sword