Japanese symbol for “sticky”
ベタベタ
ベタベタ
Romaji: betabeta
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
- adj-na, adv, vs sticky
- adv, adv-to thickly (e.g. painted); heavily (applied)
- adv, adv-to all over (pasting, stamping, etc.)
- adv, adv-to, vs clinging (e.g. of a person); following around; being all over (each other); flirting
- adj-na clichéd; hackneyed
Written forms: —. Readings: ベタベタ、べたべた.
Other Japanese words for “sticky”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| とろとろ | とろとろ torotoro | sticky; syrupy; pulpy |
| ベトベト | ベトベト betobeto | sticky |
| 粘っこい | ねばっこい nebakkoi | sticky; gummy; gooey |
| 粘性 | ねんせい nensei | viscous; sticky; gluey |
| 粘り強い | ねばりづよい nebarizuyoi | 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.