Japanese symbol for “sticky”

In Japanese, sticky is ベタベタ (betabeta).

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

1. adj-na, adv, vs sticky
2. adv, adv-to thickly (e.g. painted); heavily (applied)
3. adv, adv-to all over (pasting, stamping, etc.)
4. adv, adv-to, vs clinging (e.g. of a person); following around; being all over (each other); flirting
5. adj-na clichéd; hackneyed

Written forms: —. Readings: ベタベタ、べたべた.

Other Japanese words for “sticky”

See also: Chinese symbol for “sticky”.

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.