Japanese symbol for “breath”
息
いき
Romaji: iki
breath; breathing
In Japanese, breath is 息, read いき (iki).
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 breath; breathing
- n concord; harmony; rapport
- n steam (coming off hot food, tea, etc.); (water) vapor; vapour
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “breath”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 息吹 | いぶき ibuki | breath |
| ブレス | ブレス buresu | breath; breathing |
| 気息 | きそく kisoku | breathing; breath |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 息子 | むすこ musuko | son |
| 消息 | しょうそく shousoku | news (from someone); letter; contact |
| 利息 | りそく risoku | interest (on a loan, deposit etc.) |
| 窒息 | ちっそく chissoku | suffocation; choking; asphyxia |
| 休息 | きゅうそく kyuusoku | rest; relief; relaxation |
| 生息 | せいそく seisoku | inhabiting; living |
See also: Chinese symbol for “breath”.
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.