Japanese symbol for “decomposition”
腐敗
ふはい
Romaji: fuhai
decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; spoilage
In Japanese, decomposition is 腐敗, read ふはい (fuhai).
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, vi, vs decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; spoilage
- n, vi, vs corruption; degeneracy; decay; depravity
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “decomposition”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 分解 | ぶんかい bunkai | decomposition; resolution; disintegration |
| 腐乱 | ふらん furan | decomposition; ulceration |
| 糜爛 | びらん biran | sore; erosion; ulceration |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 豆腐 | とうふ toufu | tofu; bean curd; beancurd |
| 腐食 | ふしょく fushoku | rot; decay; erosion |
| 腐る | くさる kusaru | to rot; to go bad; to decay |
| 陳腐 | ちんぷ chinpu | stale; hackneyed; clichéd |
| 腐り | くさり kusari | rottenness; decay; corruption |
| 失敗 | しっぱい shippai | failure; mistake; blunder |
| 敗北 | はいぼく haiboku | defeat; loss; reverse |
| 敗戦 | はいせん haisen | defeat; lost battle; losing a war |
See also: Chinese symbol for “decomposition”.
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.