Japanese symbol for “insect”
虫
むし
Romaji: mushi
insect; bug; cricket; moth
In Japanese, insect is 虫, read むし (mushi).
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 insect; bug; cricket; moth
- n worm; roundworm
- n thing inside one's body believed to influence one's thoughts and feelings; (one's) unconscious
- n nervousness; fretfulness
- n person devoted to one thing; single-minded person
- n valve core
Written forms: 虫、蟲. Readings: むし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “insect”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 虫けら | むしけら mushikera | worm; insect |
| インセクト | インセクト insekuto | insect |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 虫歯 | むしば mushiba | tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity |
| 害虫 | がいちゅう gaichuu | harmful insect; noxious insect; pest |
| 寄生虫 | きせいちゅう kiseichuu | parasite |
| 毛虫 | けむし kemushi | hairy caterpillar; woolly bear |
| 幼虫 | ようちゅう youchuu | larva; grub; maggot |
See also: Chinese symbol for “insect”.
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.
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