Japanese symbol for “indicate”
示す
しめす
Romaji: shimesu
to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell; to exemplify
In Japanese, indicate is 示す, read しめす (shimesu).
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
- v5s, vt to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell; to exemplify; to make apparent
- v5s, vt to point out (finger, clock hand, needle, etc.)
- v5s, vt to indicate; to show; to represent; to signify; to display
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “indicate”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 語る | かたる kataru | to indicate; to show |
| 指し示す | さししめす sashishimesu | to indicate; to show; to point to |
| 告げる | つげる tsugeru | to indicate; to signal; to mark |
| 物語る | ものがたる monogataru | to tell of; to show; to indicate |
| 指す | さす sasu | to identify; to indicate; to point out |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 展示 | てんじ tenji | exhibition; display |
| 指示 | しじ shiji | indication; denotation; designation |
| 表示 | ひょうじ hyouji | indication; expression; showing |
| 示し | しめし shimeshi | lesson; discipline; example (e.g. set a bad example) |
| 示唆 | しさ shisa | suggestion; hint; implication |
See also: Chinese symbol for “indicate”.
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.