Japanese symbol for “streak”
縞
しま
Romaji: shima
stripe; bar; streak
In Japanese, streak is 縞, read しま (shima).
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-no, n, n-suf stripe; bar; streak
- n (weaved) stripe pattern (of 2 or more different colors)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “streak”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 筋 | すじ suji | line; stripe; streak |
| 続き | つづき tsuzuki | succession (of); sequence; series |
| 走る | はしる hashiru | to flash (of lightning); to streak; to shoot (through; e.g. of pain) |
| 鉱脈 | こうみゃく koumyaku | vein (of ore); reef; streak |
| 線条 | せんじょう senjou | line; a streak |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 縦縞 | たてじま tatejima | vertical stripes; striped fabric |
| 横縞 | よこじま yokojima | horizontal stripes; lateral stripes |
| 格子縞 | こうしじま koushijima | check(ed) pattern; plaid |
| 縞柄 | しまがら shimagara | striped pattern |
| 縞蛇 | しまへび shimahebi | Japanese four-lined ratsnake (Elaphe quadrivirgata); Japanese striped snake |
| 縞馬 | しまうま shimauma | zebra |
See also: Chinese symbol for “streak”.
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.