Japanese symbol for “smudge”
染み
しみ
Romaji: shimi
stain; spot; smudge; blot
In Japanese, smudge is 染み, read しみ (shimi).
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 stain; spot; smudge; blot; smear; blotch
- n spot (on one's skin, e.g. chloasma, liver spot); blemish; discoloration; freckle
Written forms: 染み. Readings: しみ、シミ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “smudge”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蚊いぶし | かいぶし kaibushi | smoking out mosquitoes; mosquito fumigator; smudge |
| 染みを付ける | しみをつける shimiotsukeru | to blot; to stain; to smudge |
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 “smudge”.
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.