Japanese symbol for “humbug”

与太

よた

Romaji: yota

idle talk; nonsense; rubbish; humbug

In Japanese, humbug is 与太, read よた (yota).

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 idle talk; nonsense; rubbish; humbug
n fool; idiot; good-for-nothing fellow
adj-na, n irresponsible; nonsensical

Written forms: 与太. Readings: よた、ヨタ.

Kanji and stroke order

与

bestow, participate in, give

on: ヨ
kun: あた.える、あずか.る、くみ.する、ともに

3 strokes · JLPT 2

太

plump, thick, big around

on: タイ、タ
kun: ふと.い、ふと.る

4 strokes · JLPT 3

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
給与	きゅうよ kyuuyo	pay; salary; wages
与党	よとう yotou	ruling party; government party; party in power
与える	あたえる ataeru	to give (esp. to someone of lower status); to bestow; to grant
関与	かんよ kan'yo	participation; taking part in; participating in
与え	あたえ atae	gift; godsend
授与	じゅよ juyo	awarding; conferment; granting
太陽	たいよう taiyou	Sun
太鼓	たいこ taiko	drum

See also: Chinese symbol for “humbug”.

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.