Japanese symbol for “kelp”
昆布
こんぶ
Romaji: konbu
kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp; any edible species from the family Laminariaceae
In Japanese, kelp is 昆布, read こんぶ (konbu).
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 kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp; any edible species from the family Laminariaceae
Written forms: 昆布. Readings: こんぶ、こぶ、コンブ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “kelp”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ケルプ | ケルプ kerupu | kelp |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 昆虫学 | こんちゅうがく konchuugaku | entomology |
| 昆虫採集 | こんちゅうさいしゅう konchuusaishuu | insect collecting |
| 昆布茶 | こぶちゃ kobucha | kelp tea; seaweed tea |
| 子持昆布 | こもちこんぶ komochikonbu | kelp with herring roe (sushi type) |
| 財布 | さいふ saifu | wallet; purse; coin purse |
| 配布 | はいふ haifu | distribution |
| 布団 | ふとん futon | futon; Japanese bedding consisting of a mattress and a duvet |
See also: Chinese symbol for “kelp”.
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.