Japanese symbol for “itching”
掻痒
そうよう
Romaji: souyou
itch; itching
In Japanese, itching is 掻痒, read そうよう (souyou).
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 itch; itching (med)
Written forms: 掻痒、そう痒、瘙痒、掻癢. Readings: そうよう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “itching”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痒み | かゆみ kayumi | itch; itching; itchiness |
| 掻痒症 | そうようしょう souyoushou | pruritus; itching |
| 掻痒感 | そうようかん souyoukan | itchiness; itching; itching sensation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 掻く | かく kaku | to scratch |
| 掻き | かき kaki | stroke (swimming); arm stroke |
| 足掻く | あがく agaku | to paw (at) the ground |
| 足掻き | あがき agaki | struggling; pawing (e.g. horses' hooves) |
| 掻爬 | そうは souha | curettage |
| 痒い | かゆい kayui | itchy |
| 痛痒 | つうよう tsuuyou | pain and itching |
| むず痒い | むずがゆい muzugayui | itchy |
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.