Japanese symbol for “fade”
薄れる
うすれる
Romaji: usureru
to fade; to become dim
In Japanese, fade is 薄れる, read うすれる (usureru).
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
- v1, vi to fade; to become dim
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “fade”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 消える | きえる kieru | to fade (of a feeling, impression, etc.); to vanish (e.g. of hope) |
| 落ちる | おちる ochiru | to come off (of dirt, paint, makeup, etc.); to come out (of a stain); to fade (of colour) |
| 飛ぶ | とぶ tobu | to disappear; to vanish; to fade |
| 抜ける | ぬける nukeru | to fade; to discolour |
| 色褪せる | いろあせる iroaseru | to fade (of a colour); to grow dull in color (colour) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 薄い | うすい usui | thin (of an object) |
| 薄暗い | うすぐらい usugurai | dim; gloomy |
| 希薄 | きはく kihaku | thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute |
| 軽薄 | けいはく keihaku | frivolous; flippant; superficial |
| 薄着 | うすぎ usugi | being lightly dressed |
| 品薄 | しなうす shinausu | shortage of stock; scarcity of goods; being in short supply |
See also: Chinese symbol for “fade”.
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.