Japanese symbol for “rust”
錆
さび
Romaji: sabi
rust
In Japanese, rust is 錆, read さび (sabi).
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 rust
Written forms: 錆、錆び、銹、鏽. Readings: さび.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rust”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ラスト | ラスト rasuto | rust |
| 錆びる | さびる sabiru | to rust; to become rusty |
| 腐食 | ふしょく fushoku | corrosion; etching; rust |
| 錆色 | さびいろ sabiiro | rust (colour) |
| 金錆 | かなさび kanasabi | rust |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 錆びる | さびる sabiru | to rust; to become rusty |
| 錆色 | さびいろ sabiiro | rust (colour) |
| 赤錆 | あかさび akasabi | red rust |
| 錆止め | さびどめ sabidome | rust-proofing; anti-corrosive |
| 錆び付く | さびつく sabitsuku | to become rusted together; to become rusted shut |
| 不錆鋼 | ふせいこう fuseikou | stainless steel |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rust”.
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.