Japanese symbol for “firefly”
蛍
ほたる
Romaji: hotaru
firefly (Luciola cruciata); lightning bug; glowworm
In Japanese, firefly is 蛍, read ほたる (hotaru).
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 firefly (Luciola cruciata); lightning bug; glowworm
Written forms: 蛍、螢. Readings: ほたる、ホタル.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蛍光 | けいこう keikou | fluorescence |
| 蛍光灯 | けいこうとう keikoutou | fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light |
| 蛍火 | ほたるび hotarubi | glow of a firefly |
| 蛍草 | ほたるぐさ hotarugusa | dayflower |
| 蛍雪 | けいせつ keisetsu | diligence in studying (e.g. continuing to study even in such poor light as offered by a firefly or that reflected by snow); diligent study |
| 蛍烏賊 | ほたるいか hotaruika | firefly squid (Watasenia scintillans); sparkling enope squid |
See also: Chinese symbol for “firefly”.
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.