Japanese symbol for “rubbing”
摩擦
まさつ
Romaji: masatsu
friction
In Japanese, rubbing is 摩擦, read まさつ (masatsu).
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 friction (physics)
- n, vi, vs rubbing; chafing
- n discord; friction; strife; conflict
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rubbing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拓本 | たくほん takuhon | rubbing; rubbed copy |
| 擦り | こすり kosuri | rubbing; scrubbing; scraping |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 摩天楼 | まてんろう matenrou | skyscraper |
| 摩耗 | まもう mamou | wear; abrasion |
| 薩摩 | さつま satsuma | Satsuma (former province located in the west of present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) |
| 志摩 | しま shima | Shima (former province located at the eastern tip of present-day Mie Prefecture) |
| あん摩 | あんま anma | massage (esp. anma, a traditional form of Japanese massage) |
| 擦る | する suru | to rub; to chafe; to strike (match) |
| 擦り傷 | すりきず surikizu | scratch; graze; scrape |
| 擦り | こすり kosuri | rubbing; scrubbing; scraping |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rubbing”.
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.