Japanese symbol for “gulp”
汗
あせ
Romaji: ase
sweat; perspiration
In Japanese, gulp is 汗, read あせ (ase).
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 sweat; perspiration
- n moisture; condensation
- int gulp; oops
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gulp”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一口 | ひとくち hitokuchi | gulp; sip; draft |
| ごくっ | ごくっ goku | gulp; gulping |
| グー | グー guu | ungh; gulp |
| 息を呑む | いきをのむ ikionomu | to have one's breath taken away; to gasp (in surprise, wonder, etc.); to have one's breath catch in one's throat |
| ウヘッ | ウヘッ uhe | gulp; ulp |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冷や汗 | ひやあせ hiyaase | cold sweat |
| 発汗 | はっかん hakkan | sweating; perspiration; sudation |
| 汗だく | あせだく asedaku | dripping with sweat; bathed in perspiration |
| 汗水 | あせみず asemizu | profuse sweat |
| 汗ばむ | あせばむ asebamu | to become slightly sweaty; to sweat a little; to become moist with sweat |
| 寝汗 | ねあせ nease | perspiration given off during sleep; sweating while sleeping; night sweats |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gulp”.
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.