Japanese symbol for “buckwheat”
蕎麦
そば
Romaji: soba
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)
In Japanese, buckwheat is 蕎麦, read そば (soba).
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 buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)
- n soba; Japanese buckwheat noodles (food)
- n Chinese-style wheat noodles (food)
Written forms: 蕎麦. Readings: そば、そばむぎ、そまむぎ、ソバ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蕎麦屋 | そばや sobaya | soba restaurant |
| 蕎麦殻 | そばがら sobagara | buckwheat chaff |
| 月見蕎麦 | つきみそば tsukimisoba | soba with egg |
| 狸蕎麦 | たぬきそば tanukisoba | soba with tempura batter |
| かけ蕎麦 | かけそば kakesoba | soba in hot broth; soba without any trimmings |
| 小麦 | こむぎ komugi | wheat |
| 小麦粉 | こむぎこ komugiko | wheat flour |
| 大麦 | おおむぎ oomugi | barley (Hordeum vulgare) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “buckwheat”.
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.