Japanese symbol for “lye”
灰汁
あく
Romaji: aku
lye
In Japanese, lye is 灰汁, read あく (aku).
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 lye
- n harsh taste; bitter taste; alkaline taste; astringency
- n scum (on a soup, broth etc.)
- n (excessive) self-assertiveness; strong individuality; strong idiosyncrasy
Written forms: 灰汁. Readings: あく、アク.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “lye”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苛性アルカリ | かせいアルカリ kaseiarukari | caustic alkali; lye |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 灰色 | はいいろ haiiro | grey; gray; ashen |
| 灰皿 | はいざら haizara | ashtray |
| 火山灰 | かざんばい kazanbai | volcanic ash |
| 石灰 | せっかい sekkai | lime; quicklime; caustic lime |
| 石灰岩 | せっかいがん sekkaigan | limestone |
| 死の灰 | しのはい shinohai | lethal radioactive fallout; atomic dust |
| 果汁 | かじゅう kajuu | fruit juice |
| 味噌汁 | みそしる misoshiru | miso soup |
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.