Japanese symbol for “preserve”
保つ
たもつ
Romaji: tamotsu
to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain
In Japanese, preserve is 保つ, read たもつ (tamotsu).
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
- v5t, vt to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain; to maintain; to sustain
- v5t, vi to last; to endure; to keep well (food); to wear well; to be durable
Written forms: 保つ. Readings: たもつ、もつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “preserve”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 漬ける | つける tsukeru | to pickle; to preserve (in salt, vinegar, etc.) |
| 囲う | かこう kakou | to store (vegetables, fruit, etc.); to preserve |
| 繋ぐ | つなぐ tsunagu | to maintain; to preserve; to keep |
| 料地 | りょうち ryouchi | preserve (of land) |
| 助け守る | たすけまもる tasukemamoru | to protect; to preserve; to keep |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保護 | ほご hogo | protection; safeguard; guardianship |
| 保険 | ほけん hoken | insurance |
| 確保 | かくほ kakuho | securing; obtaining; ensuring |
| 保存 | ほぞん hozon | preservation; conservation; storage |
| 保証 | ほしょう hoshou | guarantee; security; assurance |
| 保守 | ほしゅ hoshu | maintenance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “preserve”.
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.