Japanese symbol for “snatch”
奪う
うばう
Romaji: ubau
to take (by force); to take away; to snatch; to steal
In Japanese, snatch is 奪う, read うばう (ubau).
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
- v5u, vt to take (by force); to take away; to snatch; to steal; to rob (someone) of; to dispossess of
- v5u, vt to absorb (one's attention); to fascinate; to captivate; to charm; to dazzle
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “snatch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奪い取る | うばいとる ubaitoru | to plunder; to grab; to snatch |
| スナッチ | スナッチ sunatchi | snatch (weightlifting) |
| 拾う | ひろう hirou | to get (unexpectedly); to hit upon (luck, an opportunity, etc.); to snatch (an unexpected victory) |
| ふんだくる | ふんだくる fundakuru | to snatch; to grab; to steal |
| 攫う | さらう sarau | to carry off; to run away with; to sweep away |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 強奪 | ごうだつ goudatsu | robbery; pillage; seizure |
| 略奪 | りゃくだつ ryakudatsu | pillage; plunder; looting |
| 奪還 | だっかん dakkan | recapture; retaking; recovery |
| 争奪 | そうだつ soudatsu | struggle (for); scramble; contest |
| 奪取 | だっしゅ dasshu | usurpation; taking back; dispossession |
See also: Chinese symbol for “snatch”.
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.
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