Japanese symbol for “desert”
砂漠
さばく
Romaji: sabaku
desert
In Japanese, desert is 砂漠, read さばく (sabaku).
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 desert
Written forms: 砂漠、沙漠. Readings: さばく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “desert”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 荒野 | こうや kouya | wasteland; wilderness; deserted land |
| 見捨てる | みすてる misuteru | to abandon; to fail; to desert |
| デザート | デザート dezaato | desert |
| 見放す | みはなす mihanasu | to abandon; to give up on; to desert |
| 見限る | みかぎる mikagiru | to give up on; to turn one's back on; to abandon |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 砂糖 | さとう satou | sugar |
| 砂浜 | すなはま sunahama | sandy beach |
| 土砂 | どしゃ dosha | sediment; earth and sand |
| 砂丘 | さきゅう sakyuu | sand dune; sand hill |
| 土砂降り | どしゃぶり doshaburi | downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain |
| 漠然 | ばくぜん bakuzen | vague; obscure; indistinct |
| 茫漠 | ぼうばく boubaku | vast; boundless |
| 広漠 | こうばく koubaku | vast; wide; boundless |
See also: Chinese symbol for “desert”.
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.