Japanese symbol for “honeybee”
蜜蜂
みつばち
Romaji: mitsubachi
honeybee (Apis sp.); honey bee
In Japanese, honeybee is 蜜蜂, read みつばち (mitsubachi).
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 honeybee (Apis sp.); honey bee
Written forms: 蜜蜂. Readings: ミツバチ、みつばち.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蜂蜜 | はちみつ hachimitsu | honey |
| 蜜月 | みつげつ mitsugetsu | honeymoon |
| 蜜柑 | みかん mikan | mandarin (esp. the satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu)); mandarin orange; tangerine |
| 糖蜜 | とうみつ toumitsu | molasses; black treacle |
| 蜜蝋 | みつろう mitsurou | beeswax |
| 蜂起 | ほうき houki | uprising; revolt |
| 蜂の巣 | はちのす hachinosu | beehive; hive; honeycomb |
| 養蜂 | ようほう youhou | beekeeping; apiculture |
See also: Chinese symbol for “honeybee”.
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.