Japanese symbol for “itchy”
痒い
かゆい
Romaji: kayui
itchy
In Japanese, itchy is 痒い, read かゆい (kayui).
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
- adj-i itchy
Written forms: 痒い. Readings: かゆい、かいい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “itchy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| むず痒い | むずがゆい muzugayui | itchy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 掻痒 | そうよう souyou | itch; itching |
| 痛痒 | つうよう tsuuyou | pain and itching |
| むず痒い | むずがゆい muzugayui | itchy |
| 痒疹 | ようしん youshin | rash that accompanies a severe itch; prurigo |
| 隔靴掻痒 | かっかそうよう kakkasouyou | being frustrated because something is not quite as hoped (just as one cannot scratch an itch from outside a shoe); having an itch that one cannot scratch |
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.