Japanese symbol for “sick”
病める
やめる
Romaji: yameru
sick; ill; ailing
In Japanese, sick is 病める, read やめる (yameru).
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
- adj-f, exp sick; ill; ailing
- v1, vi to hurt; to ache
Written forms: 病める、痛める. Readings: やめる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sick”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 胸が悪い | むねがわるい munegawarui | sick; nauseated |
| かっけー | かっけー kakkee | cool; stylish; awesome |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 病院 | びょういん byouin | hospital; clinic; doctor's office |
| 病気 | びょうき byouki | illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; sickness |
| 病状 | びょうじょう byoujou | condition of a patient; state of a disease; pathology |
| 病人 | びょうにん byounin | sick person; patient; invalid |
| 病室 | びょうしつ byoushitsu | sickroom; hospital room; ward |
| 看病 | かんびょう kanbyou | nursing (a patient) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sick”.
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.