Japanese symbol for “quandary”
泥沼
どろぬま
Romaji: doronuma
bog; marsh; swamp; quagmire
In Japanese, quandary is 泥沼, read どろぬま (doronuma).
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 bog; marsh; swamp; quagmire; morass
- n quandary; dire situation from which one cannot extricate oneself; imbroglio
Written forms: 泥沼、ドロ沼. Readings: どろぬま、ドロぬま、でいしょう.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 泥棒 | どろぼう dorobou | thief; burglar; robber |
| 泥酔 | でいすい deisui | being dead drunk; drunken stupor |
| 雲泥の差 | うんでいのさ undeinosa | wide difference; a world of difference |
| 汚泥 | おでい odei | sludge; slime; dregs |
| 泥炭 | でいたん deitan | peat |
| 沼田 | ぬまた numata | deep-mud paddy |
| 沼地 | ぬまち numachi | marshland; wetland; swampland |
| 湖沼 | こしょう koshou | lake; marsh; wetland |
See also: Chinese symbol for “quandary”.
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.