Japanese symbol for “sting”
刺す
さす
Romaji: sasu
to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick
In Japanese, sting is 刺す, read さす (sasu).
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
- v5s, vt to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick; to thrust
- v5s, vt to sting; to bite
- v5s, vt to sew; to stitch; to embroider
- v5s, vt to pole (a boat)
- v5s, vt to catch (with a limed pole)
- v5s, vt to put (a runner) out; to pick off (baseb)
Written forms: 刺す、螫す. Readings: さす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sting”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食う | くう kuu | to bite; to sting (as insects do) |
| スティング | スティング sutingu | sting |
| 染みる | しみる shimiru | to sting (of a wound, sensitive area, etc.); to smart; to twinge |
| 毒針 | どくばり dokubari | sting (of a bee, etc.); stinger |
| 刺し傷 | さしきず sashikizu | stab wound; puncture wound; bite (e.g. from a insect) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺激 | しげき shigeki | stimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes) |
| 名刺 | めいし meishi | business card |
| 刺身 | さしみ sashimi | sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans) |
| 風刺 | ふうし fuushi | satire; irony; sarcasm |
| 刺さる | ささる sasaru | to stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sting”.
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.