Japanese symbol for “moss”
苔
こけ
Romaji: koke
moss
In Japanese, moss is 苔, read こけ (koke).
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 moss
- n short plants resembling moss (incl. other bryophytes, lichens, very small spermatophytes, etc.)
Written forms: 苔、蘚、蘿. Readings: こけ、コケ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “moss”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| モス | モス mosu | moss |
| 蘚苔 | せんたい sentai | moss; bryophyte |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海苔 | のり nori | nori; laver; edible seaweed, usu. Porphyra yezoensis or P. tenera, usu. dried and pressed into sheets |
| 蘚苔 | せんたい sentai | moss; bryophyte |
| 舌苔 | ぜったい zettai | fur (on one's tongue) |
| 苔むす | こけむす kokemusu | to become covered in moss; to become mossy; to grow over with moss |
| 布海苔 | ふのり funori | funori; glue plant; marine alga of the genus Gloiopeltis |
| 乾海苔 | ほしのり hoshinori | dried edible seaweed |
See also: Chinese symbol for “moss”.
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.