Japanese symbol for “bookworm”
本の虫
ほんのむし
Romaji: honnomushi
bookworm; bibliophile; bibliophage
In Japanese, bookworm is 本の虫, read ほんのむし (honnomushi).
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
- exp, n bookworm; bibliophile; bibliophage
Written forms: 本の虫、本のムシ. Readings: ほんのむし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bookworm”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 本読み | ほんよみ hon'yomi | avid reader; bookworm |
| 読書家 | どくしょか dokushoka | avid reader; bookworm |
| 衒学者 | げんがくしゃ gengakusha | pedant; bookworm |
| 書痴 | しょち shochi | book nut; bibliomaniac; bookworm |
| 書淫 | しょいん shoin | bibliophilia; bookworm |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本 | にほん nihon | Japan |
| 基本 | きほん kihon | basics; fundamentals; basis |
| 本当 | ほんとう hontou | truth; reality; actuality |
| 本人 | ほんにん honnin | the person in question; the person themselves; said person |
| 本来 | ほんらい honrai | originally; primarily |
| 本気 | ほんき honki | seriousness; earnestness; truth |
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 虫歯 | むしば mushiba | tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bookworm”.
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.