Japanese symbol for “cell”
細胞
さいぼう
Romaji: saibou
cell
In Japanese, cell is 細胞, read さいぼう (saibou).
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 cell (biol)
- n cell (in an organization, esp. a communist party)
Written forms: 細胞. Readings: さいぼう、さいほう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cell”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電池 | でんち denchi | battery; cell |
| セル | セル seru | cell |
| 檻 | おり ori | cage; pen; (jail) cell |
| 房 | ぼう bou | chamber; room; cell (prison) |
| 監房 | かんぼう kanbou | (prison) cell; ward |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 詳細 | しょうさい shousai | details; particulars; specifics |
| 細かい | こまかい komakai | small |
| 細菌 | さいきん saikin | bacterium; bacteria; germ |
| 細い | ほそい hosoi | thin; slender; fine |
| 繊細 | せんさい sensai | dainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine |
| 同胞 | どうほう douhou | brethren; brothers; fellow countrymen |
| 胞子 | ほうし houshi | spore |
| 卵胞 | らんぽう ranpou | (ovarian) follicle |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cell”.
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.