Japanese symbol for “fragrant”
甘い
あまい
Romaji: amai
sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary; sugared
In Japanese, fragrant is 甘い, read あまい (amai).
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
- adj-i sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary; sugared
- adj-i fragrant (smelling); sweet (music)
- adj-i lightly salted; light in salt; not spicy
- adj-i indulgent; lenient; soft (on); easy-going; generous
- adj-i naive; overly optimistic; simplistic
- adj-i half-hearted; not finished properly
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “fragrant”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 芳しい | かんばしい kanbashii | sweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic |
| 香ばしい | こうばしい koubashii | aromatic (roasted beans, roasted tea, etc.); fragrant (e.g. burning wood); pleasant-smelling |
| 馥郁 | ふくいく fukuiku | fragrant; sweet-smelling |
| 香り高い | かおりたかい kaoritakai | fragrant; aromatic |
| 香しい | かぐわしい kaguwashii | sweet-smelling; scentful; fragrant |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 甘味 | あまみ amami | sweetness; sugary taste |
| 甘え | あまえ amae | overdependence (on others; usu. one's fosterers or seniors); lack of self-reliance; presumed acceptance (of one's behaviour) |
| 甘える | あまえる amaeru | to behave like a spoiled child; to fawn on |
| 甘美 | かんび kanbi | sweet (taste); luscious |
| 甘やかす | あまやかす amayakasu | to pamper; to spoil |
See also: Chinese symbol for “fragrant”.
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.