Japanese symbol for “om”
阿吽
あうん
Romaji: aun
Om; Aun; syllable representing the primordial trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma
In Japanese, om is 阿吽, read あうん (aun).
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 Om; Aun; syllable representing the primordial trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma
- n inspiration and expiration; respiration; alpha and omega
Written forms: 阿吽、阿呍、阿うん. Readings: あうん、あ・うん、アウン.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “om”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| オーム | オーム oomu | om (ritual chant in Hinduism, etc.); aum |
| 唵 | おん on | om (ritual chant in Hinduism, etc.); aum |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 阿弥陀 | あみだ amida | Amitabha (Buddha); Amida |
| 阿呆 | あほ aho | fool; idiot; simpleton |
| 阿波 | あわ awa | Awa (former province located in present-day Tokushima Prefecture) |
| 阿修羅 | あしゅら ashura | Asura; demigod; anti-god |
| 阿鼻叫喚 | あびきょうかん abikyoukan | agonizing cries; pandemonium; two of Buddhism's hells |
| 吽形 | うんぎょう ungyou | closed-mouthed form (statue with closed mouth, symbolizing the "um" half of "aum") |
See also: Chinese symbol for “om”.
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.