Japanese symbol for “salivating”
舌なめずり
したなめずり
Romaji: shitanamezuri
licking one's lips (at the sight of appetizing food)
In Japanese, salivating is 舌なめずり, read したなめずり (shitanamezuri).
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, vi, vs licking one's lips (at the sight of appetizing food)
- n, vi, vs licking one's lips (in anticipation); waiting eagerly (for); salivating (e.g. at the thought)
Written forms: 舌なめずり、舌舐めずり. Readings: したなめずり.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 毒舌 | どくぜつ dokuzetsu | wicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive language |
| 舌打ち | したうち shitauchi | clicking one's tongue; tut-tut |
| 弁舌 | べんぜつ benzetsu | speech; eloquence; manner of speaking |
| 二枚舌 | にまいじた nimaijita | double-dealing; duplicity; equivocation |
| 饒舌 | じょうぜつ jouzetsu | talkativeness; garrulity; loquacity |
| 舌戦 | ぜっせん zessen | war of words |
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.