Japanese symbol for “salt”
塩
しお
Romaji: shio
salt; common salt; table salt; sodium chloride
In Japanese, salt is 塩, read しお (shio).
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 salt; common salt; table salt; sodium chloride
- n hardship; toil; trouble
- n saltiness (food)
- n-pref cold; unwelcoming; indifferent
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “salt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 塩分 | えんぶん enbun | salt; salt content; amount of salt |
| 締める | しめる shimeru | to salt; to marinate; to pickle |
| 塩類 | えんるい enrui | salt; salts |
| ソルト | ソルト soruto | salt |
| 波の花 | なみのはな naminohana | salt |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 塩分 | えんぶん enbun | salt; salt content; amount of salt |
| 塩水 | しおみず shiomizu | salt water; brine |
| 塩素 | えんそ enso | chlorine (Cl) |
| 塩味 | しおあじ shioaji | salty taste; saltiness |
| 塩化 | えんか enka | chloridation; salification |
| 塩酸 | えんさん ensan | hydrochloric acid |
See also: Chinese symbol for “salt”.
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.