Japanese symbol for “breathe”
吐く
つく
Romaji: tsuku
to breathe out; to breathe
In Japanese, breathe is 吐く, read つく (tsuku).
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
- v5k, vt to breathe out; to breathe
- v5k, vt to tell (a lie); to use (foul language)
- v5k, vt to vomit; to throw up; to spit up
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “breathe”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 息づく | いきづく ikizuku | to breathe (heavily); to pant; to gasp |
| 息吹く | いぶく ibuku | to breathe |
| 吹きかける | ふきかける fukikakeru | to blow (on); to breathe (on); to spray (on) |
| 吹っかける | ふっかける fukkakeru | to blow (on); to breathe (on); to spray (on) |
| 息をする | いきをする ikiosuru | to breathe |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 吐き気 | はきけ hakike | nausea; feeling like throwing up; feeling sick |
| 嘔吐 | おうと outo | vomiting; emesis |
| 吐き出す | はきだす hakidasu | to vomit; to spit out |
| 吐露 | とろ toro | expressing one's mind; speaking out |
See also: Chinese symbol for “breathe”.
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.