Japanese symbol for “festering”
化膿
かのう
Romaji: kanou
suppuration; festering; purulence; pyosis
In Japanese, festering is 化膿, read かのう (kanou).
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 suppuration; festering; purulence; pyosis; coming to a head; infection
Written forms: 化膿、化のう. Readings: かのう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “festering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 化膿性 | かのうせい kanousei | pyogenetic; pyogenic; suppurative |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文化 | ぶんか bunka | culture; civilization; civilisation |
| 変化 | へんか henka | change; variation; alteration |
| 強化 | きょうか kyouka | strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement |
| 悪化 | あっか akka | deterioration; getting worse; worsening |
| 化学 | かがく kagaku | chemistry |
| 化粧 | けしょう keshou | make-up; makeup; cosmetics |
| 膿瘍 | のうよう nouyou | abscess |
| 膿む | うむ umu | to fester; to form pus |
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.