Japanese symbol for “samurai”
武士
ぶし
Romaji: bushi
samurai; warrior
In Japanese, samurai is 武士, read ぶし (bushi).
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 samurai; warrior
Written forms: 武士. Readings: ぶし、さむらい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “samurai”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 侍 | さむらい samurai | warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period); samurai |
| 士 | し shi | samurai |
| 武家 | ぶけ buke | samurai; warrior |
| 両 | りゃん ryan | samurai |
| 士人 | しじん shijin | samurai |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 武器 | ぶき buki | weapon; arms; ordnance |
| 武装 | ぶそう busou | arms; armament; taking up arms |
| 武力 | ぶりょく buryoku | armed might; military power; the sword |
| 武将 | ぶしょう bushou | military commander |
| 武道 | ぶどう budou | martial arts; military arts; Bushido |
| 弁護士 | べんごし bengoshi | lawyer; attorney |
| 同士 | どうし doushi | fellow; mutual; companion |
| 博士 | はかせ hakase | expert; learned person |
See also: Chinese symbol for “samurai”.
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.