Japanese symbol for “floating”
浮き
うき
Romaji: uki
floating; buoyancy
In Japanese, floating is 浮き, read うき (uki).
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 floating; buoyancy
- n fishing float; bobber
- n buoy
- n lifebuoy; life belt; float; rubber ring
Written forms: 浮き、浮子、泛子. Readings: うき、ウキ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “floating”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 浮遊 | ふゆう fuyuu | floating; drifting; suspension |
| 浮揚 | ふよう fuyou | floating (e.g. in air, water); floatation; buoyancy |
| 流し | ながし nagashi | floating (something on water); setting adrift; washing away |
| 浮動 | ふどう fudou | floating |
| フローティング | フローティング furootingu | floating |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 浮気 | うわき uwaki | extramarital sex; affair; fooling around |
| 浮かぶ | うかぶ ukabu | to float; to be suspended |
| 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 “floating”.
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.