Japanese symbol for “hive”
巣
す
Romaji: su
nest; rookery; breeding place; hive
In Japanese, hive is 巣, read す (su).
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 nest; rookery; breeding place; hive
- n den
- n haunt
- n (spider's) web
Written forms: 巣、栖. Readings: す.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hive”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ネスト | ネスト nesuto | nest; hive; rookery |
| 蜂巣 | はちす hachisu | hive; beehive |
| 蜂の巣 | はちのす hachinosu | beehive; hive; honeycomb |
| 蜂房 | ほうぼう houbou | hive; beehive |
| 蜂窩 | ほうか houka | beehive; hive; honeycomb |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空き巣 | あきす akisu | empty nest |
| 古巣 | ふるす furusu | old haunts; former homes |
| 卵巣 | らんそう ransou | ovary |
| 巣立ち | すだち sudachi | leaving the nest |
| 病巣 | びょうそう byousou | focus; nidus; lesion |
| 巣箱 | すばこ subako | birdhouse; nest box; bird box |
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.