Japanese symbol for “hurt”
痛む
いたむ
Romaji: itamu
to hurt; to ache; to feel a pain
In Japanese, hurt is 痛む, read いたむ (itamu).
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
- v5m, vi to hurt; to ache; to feel a pain
- v5m, vi to be injured; to be spoiled (e.g. food); to be damaged
Written forms: 痛む、傷む. Readings: いたむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hurt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 傷 | きず kizu | (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings |
| 痛める | いためる itameru | to hurt; to injure; to cause pain |
| 損なう | そこなう sokonau | to harm; to hurt; to injure |
| 苦しめる | くるしめる kurushimeru | to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain |
| 害する | がいする gaisuru | to injure; to damage; to harm |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛み | いたみ itami | pain; ache; soreness |
| 痛い | いたい itai | painful; sore |
| 頭痛 | ずつう zutsuu | headache |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 痛烈 | つうれつ tsuuretsu | severe; bitter; scathing |
| 痛感 | つうかん tsuukan | feeling keenly; fully realizing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hurt”.
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.