Japanese symbol for “sustain”
保つ
たもつ
Romaji: tamotsu
to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain
In Japanese, sustain is 保つ, read たもつ (tamotsu).
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
- v5t, vt to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain; to maintain; to sustain
- v5t, vi to last; to endure; to keep well (food); to wear well; to be durable
Written forms: 保つ. Readings: たもつ、もつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sustain”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 受ける | うける ukeru | to sustain (damage); to incur (a loss); to suffer (an injury) |
| 伸び | のび nobi | elongation; extension; carry (e.g. of sound) |
| 支える | ささえる sasaeru | to support; to prop; to sustain |
| 負う | おう ou | to suffer (an injury); to sustain (a wound); to receive |
| 被る | こうむる koumuru | to suffer; to receive (kindness, rebuke, support); to sustain (damage) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保護 | ほご hogo | protection; safeguard; guardianship |
| 保険 | ほけん hoken | insurance |
| 確保 | かくほ kakuho | securing; obtaining; ensuring |
| 保存 | ほぞん hozon | preservation; conservation; storage |
| 保証 | ほしょう hoshou | guarantee; security; assurance |
| 保守 | ほしゅ hoshu | maintenance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sustain”.
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.