Japanese symbol for “cicada”
蝉
せみ
Romaji: semi
cicada; locust
In Japanese, cicada is 蝉, read せみ (semi).
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 cicada; locust
- n small-sized pulley
Written forms: 蝉、蟬. Readings: せみ、せび、セミ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cicada”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空蝉 | うつせみ utsusemi | cicada |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空蝉 | うつせみ utsusemi | this fleeting world; this transient life; this world |
| 蝉時雨 | せみしぐれ semishigure | outburst of cicadas singing; chorus of cicadas |
| 夏蝉 | なつぜみ natsuzemi | summer cicadas |
| 油蝉 | あぶらぜみ aburazemi | large brown cicada (Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata); aburazemi |
| 松蝉 | まつぜみ matsuzemi | cicada abundant in late spring |
| 唖蝉 | おしぜみ oshizemi | voiceless cicada (female); Asian cicada |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cicada”.
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.