Japanese symbol for “soot”
煤
すす
Romaji: susu
soot
In Japanese, soot is 煤, read すす (susu).
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 soot
Written forms: 煤. Readings: すす、スス.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 煤煙 | ばいえん baien | dirty smoke; soot and smoke |
| 煤竹 | すすたけ susutake | soot-colored bamboo (coloured) |
| 煤塵 | ばいじん baijin | dust and soot; particulate matter |
| 煤ける | すすける susukeru | to be sooty; to be stained |
| 松煤 | しょうばい shoubai | soot of burnt pine |
| 煤色 | すすいろ susuiro | color of soot (colour) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “soot”.
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.