Japanese symbol for “maggot”
幼虫
ようちゅう
Romaji: youchuu
larva; grub; maggot
In Japanese, maggot is 幼虫, read ようちゅう (youchuu).
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-no, n larva; grub; maggot
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “maggot”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蛆虫 | うじむし ujimushi | maggot |
| 蛆 | うじ uji | maggot; larva; grub |
| 孑孑 | ぼうふら boufura | mosquito larva; wriggler; maggot |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 幼稚園 | ようちえん youchien | kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school); preschool |
| 幼児 | ようじ youji | young child; toddler |
| 幼なじみ | おさななじみ osananajimi | childhood friend; friend from infancy; old playmate |
| 幼い | おさない osanai | very young; little |
| 幼少 | ようしょう youshou | infancy; childhood; tender age |
| 幼稚 | ようち youchi | infancy |
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう konchuu | insect; bug |
| 虫歯 | むしば mushiba | tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “maggot”.
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.