Japanese symbol for “grime”
垢
あか
Romaji: aka
dirt; filth; grime
In Japanese, grime is 垢, read あか (aka).
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 dirt; filth; grime
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “grime”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| グライム | グライム guraimu | grime |
| 垢膩 | こうじ kouji | dirt and grease; filth; grime |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無垢 | むく muku | pure; innocent; spotless |
| 垢抜け | あかぬけ akanuke | refinement; style; sophistication |
| 手垢 | てあか teaka | finger marks; dirt from the hands |
| 白無垢 | しろむく shiromuku | white kimono |
| 水垢 | みずあか mizuaka | fur; incrustation; limescale |
| 金無垢 | きんむく kinmuku | pure gold |
See also: Chinese symbol for “grime”.
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.