Japanese symbol for “craving”
欲
よく
Romaji: yoku
greed; craving; desire; appetite
In Japanese, craving is 欲, read よく (yoku).
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, n-suf greed; craving; desire; appetite; hunger; avarice
Written forms: 欲、慾. Readings: よく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “craving”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 欲求 | よっきゅう yokkyuu | desire; want; will |
| 渇望 | かつぼう katsubou | craving; longing; thirsting |
| 愛 | あい ai | attachment; craving; desire |
| 渇き | かわき kawaki | craving; thirst (for love, knowledge, etc.); hunger |
| 欲情 | よくじょう yokujou | passion; passions; (sexual) desire |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 欲しい | ほしい hoshii | wanting (to have); desiring; wishing for |
| 意欲 | いよく iyoku | will; desire; eagerness |
| 欲求 | よっきゅう yokkyuu | desire; want; will |
| 欲望 | よくぼう yokubou | desire; appetite; lust |
| 食欲 | しょくよく shokuyoku | appetite (for food) |
| 性欲 | せいよく seiyoku | sexual desire; sex drive; lust |
See also: Chinese symbol for “craving”.
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.