Japanese symbol for “swell”
波
なみ
Romaji: nami
wave; billow; ripple; breaker
In Japanese, swell is 波, read なみ (nami).
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
- n wave; billow; ripple; breaker; swell
- n ups and downs
- n (something) advancing step by step; (something) surging forward inopposably; succession of changes
- n tendency; (new) wave (art)
Written forms: 波、浪、濤. Readings: なみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “swell”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 盛り上がる | もりあがる moriagaru | to swell; to rise; to bulge |
| 高まる | たかまる takamaru | to rise; to swell; to intensify |
| 膨れる | ふくれる fukureru | to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated |
| 膨らむ | ふくらむ fukuramu | to expand; to swell (out); to get big |
| 高まり | たかまり takamari | rise; swell; elevation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電波 | でんぱ denpa | radio wave; reception; signal |
| 津波 | つなみ tsunami | tsunami; tidal wave |
| 波乱 | はらん haran | disturbance; trouble; commotion |
| 難波 | なにわ naniwa | Naniwa (former name for Osaka region) |
| 波長 | はちょう hachou | wavelength |
| 周波数 | しゅうはすう shuuhasuu | frequency (esp. of waveforms) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “swell”.
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.