Japanese symbol for “drain”
流す
ながす
Romaji: nagasu
to drain; to pour; to run; to let flow
In Japanese, drain is 流す, read ながす (nagasu).
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
- v5s, vt to drain; to pour; to run; to let flow; to flush; to shed (blood, tears)
- v5s, vt to float (e.g. logs down a river); to set adrift
- v5s, vt to wash away; to carry away; to sweep away
- v5s, vt to broadcast; to play (e.g. music over a loudspeaker); to send (electricity through a wire)
- v5s, vt to circulate (a rumour, information, etc.); to spread; to distribute
- v5s, vi to cruise (of a taxi); to stroll around (in search of customers, an audience, etc.); to go from place to place
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “drain”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 溝 | みぞ mizo | ditch; drain; gutter |
| 下水道 | げすいどう gesuidou | sewer; sewer system; sewerage |
| 溝 | どぶ dobu | ditch; drain; gutter |
| 干す | ほす hosu | to drain (off) |
| 流出 | りゅうしゅつ ryuushutsu | outflow (of people, capital, etc.); drain (of gold, talent, etc. from a country); leak (e.g. of personal information) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 流れ | ながれ nagare | flow (of a fluid or gas); stream; current |
| 交流 | こうりゅう kouryuu | exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction |
| 流行 | りゅうこう ryuukou | fashion; trend; vogue |
| 流通 | りゅうつう ryuutsuu | circulation (of money, goods, etc.); distribution |
| 流し | ながし nagashi | sink (e.g. in a kitchen) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “drain”.
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.