Japanese symbol for “caterpillar”
芋虫
いもむし
Romaji: imomushi
hornworm (caterpillar of a hawk moth); (hairless) caterpillar
In Japanese, caterpillar is 芋虫, read いもむし (imomushi).
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 hornworm (caterpillar of a hawk moth); (hairless) caterpillar
Written forms: 芋虫、いも虫、イモ虫. Readings: いもむし、イモムシ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “caterpillar”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 裸虫 | はだかむし hadakamushi | caterpillar (esp. hairless) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 焼き芋 | やきいも yakiimo | roasted sweet potato; baked sweet potato |
| さつま芋 | さつまいも satsumaimo | sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) |
| 芋煮 | いもに imoni | imoni (taro and meat soup) |
| 里芋 | さといも satoimo | taro (Colocasia esculenta); dasheen; eddo |
| じゃが芋 | じゃがいも jagaimo | potato (Solanum tuberosum) |
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 虫歯 | むしば mushiba | tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity |
| 害虫 | がいちゅう gaichuu | harmful insect; noxious insect; pest |
See also: Chinese symbol for “caterpillar”.
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.