Japanese symbol for “bubble”
泡
あわ
Romaji: awa
bubble; foam; froth; suds
In Japanese, bubble is 泡, read あわ (awa).
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 bubble; foam; froth; suds; lather; head (on beer)
Written forms: 泡、沫. Readings: あわ、あぶく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bubble”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気泡 | きほう kihou | (air) bubble (esp. in a liquid) |
| バブル | バブル baburu | bubble |
| 水泡 | すいほう suihou | foam; bubble |
| 泡立つ | あわだつ awadatsu | to bubble; to foam; to froth |
| 鬆 | す su | cavity (in old root vegetables, tofu, metal casting, etc.); pore; hollow |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 発泡 | はっぽう happou | foaming |
| 気泡 | きほう kihou | (air) bubble (esp. in a liquid) |
| 水泡 | すいほう suihou | foam; bubble |
| 泡盛 | あわもり awamori | awamori; strong Okinawan liquor distilled from rice or millet |
| 泡沫 | うたかた utakata | bubble on surface of liquid |
| 水の泡 | みずのあわ mizunoawa | bubble on the surface of water |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bubble”.
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.