Japanese symbol for “seep”
染みる
しみる
Romaji: shimiru
to soak (into); to permeate; to seep (in); to penetrate
In Japanese, seep is 染みる, read しみる (shimiru).
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
- v1, vi to soak (into); to permeate; to seep (in); to penetrate; to pierce
- v1, vi to sting (of a wound, sensitive area, etc.); to smart; to twinge; to bite (e.g. of the cold); to be irritated (by)
- v1, vi to be infected (e.g. with vice); to be steeped (e.g. with prejudice); to be influenced
- v1, vi to feel keenly; to make a deep impression; to sink into (e.g. one's mind); to be moved
Written forms: 染みる、沁みる、滲みる、浸みる. Readings: しみる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “seep”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 染み出す | しみだす shimidasu | to ooze (out); to seep |
| 滲み出す | にじみだす nijimidasu | to ooze out; to seep |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 感染 | かんせん kansen | infection; contagion; becoming infected |
| 汚染 | おせん osen | pollution; contamination |
| 染色 | せんしょく senshoku | dyeing |
| 染める | そめる someru | to dye; to colour; to color |
| 伝染 | でんせん densen | contagion; infection |
| 染め | そめ some | dyeing; printing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “seep”.
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.