Japanese symbol for “marinate”
締める
しめる
Romaji: shimeru
to tie; to fasten; to tighten
In Japanese, marinate is 締める, read しめる (shimeru).
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
- v1, vt to tie; to fasten; to tighten
- v1, vt to wear (necktie, belt); to put on
- v1, vt to total; to sum
- v1, vt to be strict with
- v1, vt to economize; to economise; to cut down on
- v1, vt to salt; to marinate; to pickle; to make sushi adding a mixture of vinegar and salt
Written forms: 締める. Readings: しめる、シメる.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取締役 | とりしまりやく torishimariyaku | company director; board member |
| 締め切り | しめきり shimekiri | deadline; closing; cut-off |
| 引き締め | ひきしめ hikishime | tightening |
| 締結 | ていけつ teiketsu | conclusion; execution (of a contract); entering (into treaty) |
| 締め | しめ shime | tying up; binding; fastening |
See also: Chinese symbol for “marinate”.
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.