Japanese symbol for “hunger”
飢え
うえ
Romaji: ue
hunger; starvation
In Japanese, hunger is 飢え, read うえ (ue).
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 hunger; starvation
Written forms: 飢え、餓え、饑え. Readings: うえ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hunger”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 欲 | よく yoku | greed; craving; desire |
| 飢餓 | きが kiga | starvation; famine; hunger |
| 空腹 | くうふく kuufuku | empty stomach; hunger |
| ハンガー | ハンガー hangaa | hunger |
| 渇き | かわき kawaki | craving; thirst (for love, knowledge, etc.); hunger |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 飢餓 | きが kiga | starvation; famine; hunger |
| 飢饉 | ききん kikin | famine; crop failure |
| 飢える | うえる ueru | to starve; to be famished; to be hungry |
| 飢え死に | うえじに uejini | (death from) starvation; starving to death |
| 飢渇 | きかつ kikatsu | hunger and thirst; starvation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hunger”.
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.