King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “fragrant”

Romaji: amai
sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary; sugared

In Japanese, fragrant is , read (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

  1. adj-i sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary; sugared
  2. adj-i fragrant (smelling); sweet (music)
  3. adj-i lightly salted; light in salt; not spicy
  4. adj-i indulgent; lenient; soft (on); easy-going; generous
  5. adj-i naive; overly optimistic; simplistic
  6. adj-i half-hearted; not finished properly

Kanji and stroke order

sweet, coax, pamper
on: カン
kun: あま.い、あま.える、あま.やかす、うま.い
5 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “fragrant”

WordReadingMeaning
かんばしい kanbashiisweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic
こうばしい koubashiiaromatic (roasted beans, roasted tea, etc.); fragrant (e.g. burning wood); pleasant-smelling
ふくいく fukuikufragrant; sweet-smelling
かおりたかい kaoritakaifragrant; aromatic
かぐわしい kaguwashiisweet-smelling; scentful; fragrant

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
あまみ amamisweetness; sugary taste
あまえ amaeoverdependence (on others; usu. one's fosterers or seniors); lack of self-reliance; presumed acceptance (of one's behaviour)
あまえる amaeruto behave like a spoiled child; to fawn on
かんび kanbisweet (taste); luscious
あまやかす amayakasuto 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.

Last posts

  1. Are Bamboo Practice Swords Safer Than Wooden Ones
  2. Choosing the Best Wooden Sword Stand for Your Collection
  3. Why Bokken Crack and Which Woods Handle Impact Best
  4. Best Bokken Bags and Cases for Martial Arts Training
  5. Choosing the Best Wooden Tanto for Realistic Knife Drills
  6. What Is a Suburito and Is It Worth Buying for Strength
  7. Buying a Wooden Wakizashi for Two-Sword Practice
  8. Buying Chanbara Swords for Sparring and Competition
  9. What Size Shinai Does a Child Need for Kendo Practice
  10. Best Polypropylene Bokken for Hard Contact Training