Japanese symbol for “bum”

浮浪者

ふろうしゃ

Romaji: furousha

vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person

In Japanese, bum is 浮浪者, read ふろうしゃ (furousha).

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 vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person; hobo; bum

Kanji and stroke order

浮

floating, float, rise to surface

on: フ
kun: う.く、う.かれる、う.かぶ、う.かべる

10 strokes · JLPT 2

浪

wandering, waves, billows

on: ロウ

10 strokes · JLPT 1

者

someone, person

on: シャ
kun: もの

8 strokes · JLPT 3

Other Japanese words for “bum”

Word	Reading	Meaning
碌で無し	ろくでなし rokudenashi	bum; good-for-nothing; ne'er-do-well
ずく無し	ずくなし zukunashi	bum; slacker; good-for-nothing
集る	たかる takaru	to sponge (off someone); to scrounge; to pester (someone for something)
乞丐	こつがい kotsugai	beggar; bum
がしんたれ	がしんたれ gashintare	good-for-nothing; bum; loser

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
浮気	うわき uwaki	extramarital sex; affair; fooling around
浮かぶ	うかぶ ukabu	to float; to be suspended
浮上	ふじょう fujou	surfacing; rising to the surface
浮かべる	うかべる ukaberu	to float; to set afloat; to launch
浮き彫り	うきぼり ukibori	relief; embossed carving
浮世絵	うきよえ ukiyoe	ukiyo-e; ukiyoe; Edo-period woodblock print
浪人	ろうにん rounin	ronin; masterless samurai
浪費	ろうひ rouhi	waste; extravagance
患者	かんじゃ kanja	patient