Japanese symbol for “sobbing”
嗚咽
おえつ
Romaji: oetsu
sobbing; weeping; fit of crying
In Japanese, sobbing is 嗚咽, read おえつ (oetsu).
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, vi, vs sobbing; weeping; fit of crying
Written forms: 嗚咽、鳴咽. Readings: おえつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sobbing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| すすり泣き | すすりなき susurinaki | sobbing; sob; weeping |
| メソメソ | メソメソ mesomeso | sobbing; weeping; whimpering |
| むせび泣き | むせびなき musebinaki | sobbing |
| しくしく | しくしく shikushiku | weeping; sobbing; softly (crying) |
| 憂哭 | うきね ukine | sobbing |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 嗚呼 | ああ aa | ah!; oh!; alas! |
| 嗚呼嗚呼 | ああああ aaaa | aaah!; oooh!; oh no! |
| 咽頭 | いんとう intou | pharynx |
| 咽喉 | いんこう inkou | throat |
| 耳鼻咽喉 | じびいんこう jibiinkou | ear, nose, and throat |
| 咽ぶ | むせぶ musebu | to be choked; to be stifled; to be smothered |
| 咽頭炎 | いんとうえん intouen | pharyngitis; sore throat |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sobbing”.
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.