Japanese symbol for “phlegm”
痰
たん
Romaji: tan
phlegm; sputum
In Japanese, phlegm is 痰, read たん (tan).
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 phlegm; sputum (med)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “phlegm”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 粘液 | ねんえき nen'eki | mucus; mucilage; viscous liquid |
| 痰唾 | たんつば tantsuba | sputum; phlegm |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 喀痰 | かくたん kakutan | expectoration; sputum |
| 去痰 | きょたん kyotan | expectoration |
| 血痰 | けったん kettan | bloody phlegm |
| 痰壺 | たんつぼ tantsubo | spittoon; cuspidor |
| 検痰 | けんたん kentan | sputum test |
| 喀痰検査 | かくたんけんさ kakutankensa | examination of someone's sputum |
See also: Chinese symbol for “phlegm”.
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.