Japanese symbol for “float”
浮かぶ
うかぶ
Romaji: ukabu
to float; to be suspended
In Japanese, float is 浮かぶ, read うかぶ (ukabu).
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
- v5b, vi to float; to be suspended
- v5b, vi to rise to the surface; to appear; to emerge; to show up; to loom (up)
- v5b, vi to come to mind; to have inspiration
Written forms: 浮かぶ、泛ぶ、浮ぶ、泛かぶ. Readings: うかぶ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “float”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 浮かべる | うかべる ukaberu | to float; to set afloat; to launch |
| 漂う | ただよう tadayou | to drift; to float |
| 流す | ながす nagasu | to float (e.g. logs down a river); to set adrift |
| 浮く | うく uku | to float |
| 浮き上がる | うきあがる ukiagaru | to float; to rise to the surface |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 浮気 | うわき uwaki | extramarital sex; affair; fooling around |
| 浮上 | ふじょう fujou | surfacing; rising to the surface |
| 浮かべる | うかべる ukaberu | to float; to set afloat; to launch |
| 浮き彫り | うきぼり ukibori | relief; embossed carving |
| 浮世絵 | うきよえ ukiyoe | ukiyo-e; ukiyoe; Edo-period woodblock print |
See also: Chinese symbol for “float”.
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.