Japanese symbol for “speckled”
斑
まだら
Romaji: madara
spots; speckles; mottles
In Japanese, speckled is 斑, read まだら (madara).
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 spots; speckles; mottles
- adj-na, adj-no speckled; spotted
Written forms: 斑. Readings: まだら、もどろ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “speckled”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 杢調 | もくちょう mokuchou | mottled (cloth color); speckled; grainy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 斑点 | はんてん hanten | (scattered) spots; specks; speckles |
| 斑鳩 | いかる ikaru | Japanese grosbeak (Eophona personata) |
| 白斑 | はくはん hakuhan | white spot |
| 紫斑 | しはん shihan | purpura; purple spot |
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.