Japanese symbol for “indigo”
藍
あい
Romaji: ai
dyer's knotweed (Persicaria tinctoria, used to produce indigo dye)
In Japanese, indigo is 藍, read あい (ai).
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 dyer's knotweed (Persicaria tinctoria, used to produce indigo dye)
- n indigo (dye)
- n indigo (colour)
Written forms: 藍. Readings: あい、アイ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “indigo”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| インディゴ | インディゴ indigo | indigo (dye); indigotin |
| 藍色 | あいいろ aiiro | indigo blue; indigo |
| インド藍 | インドあい indoai | indigo |
| 藍靛 | らんてん ranten | indigo |
| 洋藍 | ようらん youran | indigo |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 伽藍 | がらん garan | temple (esp. large one); monastery |
| 藍子 | あいご aigo | mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens); dusky rabbitfish; sandy spinefoot |
| 藍色 | あいいろ aiiro | indigo blue; indigo |
| 七堂伽藍 | しちどうがらん shichidougaran | complete seven-structured temple compound |
| 藍屋 | あいや aiya | indigo dyer |
| 甘藍 | かんらん kanran | cabbage |
See also: Chinese symbol for “indigo”.
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.