Japanese symbol for “pot”
壺
つぼ
Romaji: tsubo
pot; jar; vase
In Japanese, pot is 壺, read つぼ (tsubo).
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 pot; jar; vase
- n dice cup
- n depression; basin (e.g. of a waterfall)
- n aim; what one wants; the mark
- n key point (of a conversation, etc.); essence
- n acupuncture point; moxibustion point; pressure point
Written forms: 壺、壷、壼. Readings: つぼ、ツボ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “pot”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鍋 | なべ nabe | pan; pot; saucepan |
| 鉢 | はち hachi | bowl; pot; basin |
| ポット | ポット potto | pot (esp. teapot, coffee pot) |
| マリファナ | マリファナ marifana | marijuana; marihuana; cannabis |
| 大麻 | たいま taima | cannabis; marijuana; pot |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 便壺 | べんつぼ bentsubo | night-soil vault; clay pot used to collect feces in an outhouse |
| 金壺眼 | かなつぼまなこ kanatsubomanako | goggle-eyes; round, sunken eyes; greedy look |
| 油壺 | あぶらつぼ aburatsubo | oil bottle (esp. for hair oil) |
| 茶壺 | ちゃつぼ chatsubo | tea jar; tea urn |
| 蛸壺 | たこつぼ takotsubo | octopus pot |
| 痰壺 | たんつぼ tantsubo | spittoon; cuspidor |
See also: Chinese symbol for “pot”.
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.