Japanese symbol for “bittersweet”
甘酸っぱい
あまずっぱい
Romaji: amazuppai
sweet and sour
In Japanese, bittersweet is 甘酸っぱい, read あまずっぱい (amazuppai).
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
- adj-i sweet and sour
- adj-i bittersweet (feeling)
Written forms: 甘酸っぱい、甘ずっぱい. Readings: あまずっぱい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bittersweet”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲喜こもごも | ひきこもごも hikikomogomo | bittersweet; having mingled feelings of joy and sorrow; joy and sorrow alternating in one's heart |
| 甘苦い | あまにがい amanigai | bittersweet; semisweet |
| ほろ苦い | ほろにがい horonigai | bittersweet (memory, experience, etc.) |
| ビタースイート | ビタースイート bitaasuiito | bittersweet; tinged with sadness |
| ニシキギ科 | ニシキギか nishikigika | Celastraceae (plant family); bittersweet |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 甘い | あまい amai | sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary |
| 甘味 | あまみ amami | sweetness; sugary taste |
| 甘え | あまえ amae | overdependence (on others; usu. one's fosterers or seniors); lack of self-reliance; presumed acceptance (of one's behaviour) |
| 甘える | あまえる amaeru | to behave like a spoiled child; to fawn on |
| 甘美 | かんび kanbi | sweet (taste); luscious |
| 甘やかす | あまやかす amayakasu | to pamper; to spoil |
| 酸素 | さんそ sanso | oxygen (O) |
| 酸化 | さんか sanka | oxidation; oxidization |
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.