Japanese symbol for “thirst”
渇き
かわき
Romaji: kawaki
thirst
In Japanese, thirst is 渇き, read かわき (kawaki).
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 thirst
- n craving; thirst (for love, knowledge, etc.); hunger
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “thirst”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 渇 | かつ katsu | thirst |
| 渇愛 | かつあい katsuai | thirst; craving; desire |
| 垂涎 | すいぜん suizen | avid desire; craving; thirst |
| 口渇 | こうかつ koukatsu | thirst; dry mouth; -dipsia |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 枯渇 | こかつ kokatsu | drying up; running dry |
| 渇望 | かつぼう katsubou | craving; longing; thirsting |
| 渇水 | かっすい kassui | water shortage |
| 渇く | かわく kawaku | to be thirsty; to feel thirsty |
| 渇愛 | かつあい katsuai | thirst; craving; desire |
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.