Japanese symbol for “thread”
糸
いと
Romaji: ito
thread; yarn; string
In Japanese, thread is 糸, read いと (ito).
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, n-suf thread; yarn; string
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “thread”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 山 | やま yama | protruding or high part of an object; crown (of a hat); thread (of a screw) |
| 脈 | みゃく myaku | thread (of an argument) |
| スレ | スレ sure | thread (on an Internet forum, mailing list, etc.); topic; conversation |
| スレッド | スレッド sureddo | thread (of execution) |
| 通す | とおす toosu | to stick through (e.g. a hole); to force through (e.g. an opening); to thread (e.g. a needle) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 毛糸 | けいと keito | knitting wool; woolen yarn; woollen yarn |
| 糸口 | いとぐち itoguchi | beginning; start; first step |
| 生糸 | きいと kiito | raw silk thread |
| 絹糸 | きぬいと kinuito | silk thread; silk yarn |
| 釣り糸 | つりいと tsuriito | fishing line |
| 金糸 | きんし kinshi | gold thread |
See also: Chinese symbol for “thread”.
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.