Japanese symbol for “bead”
粒
つぶ
Romaji: tsubu
grain; bead; drop
In Japanese, bead is 粒, read つぶ (tsubu).
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 grain; bead; drop
- ctr counter for small round objects including grains, seeds, pills, drops
Written forms: 粒. Readings: つぶ、りゅう、つび、つぼ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bead”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 玉 | たま tama | bead (of sweat, dew, etc.); drop; droplet |
| 照星 | しょうせい shousei | bead (of a gun); front sight; foresight |
| 小玉 | こだま kodama | small ball; globule; bead |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 粒子 | りゅうし ryuushi | particle; grain |
| 素粒子 | そりゅうし soryuushi | elementary particle; particle |
| 微粒子 | びりゅうし biryuushi | corpuscle; minute particle; particulate |
| 粒状 | りゅうじょう ryuujou | granular; granulated |
| 小粒 | こつぶ kotsubu | small (of a grain or berry, etc.) |
| 大粒 | おおつぶ ootsubu | large drop (of rain, sweat, tears, etc.); large grain-like object (e.g. grape, cherry) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bead”.
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.