Japanese symbol for “tie”
結ぶ
むすぶ
Romaji: musubu
to tie; to bind; to link
In Japanese, tie is 結ぶ, read むすぶ (musubu).
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
- v5b, vt to tie; to bind; to link
- v5b, vt to bear (fruit)
- v5b, vt to close (e.g. deal); to confirm; to conclude
- v5b, vt to connect (two distant places)
- v5b, vt to close tightly; to purse (e.g. lips)
- v5b, vt to unite (with); to ally; to join hands
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tie”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 縛る | しばる shibaru | to tie; to bind; to fasten |
| 締める | しめる shimeru | to tie; to fasten; to tighten |
| ネクタイ | ネクタイ nekutai | tie; necktie |
| タイ | タイ tai | tie; necktie |
| 同点 | どうてん douten | same score; deadlock; tie |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 結果 | けっか kekka | result; consequence; outcome |
| 結婚 | けっこん kekkon | marriage |
| 結局 | けっきょく kekkyoku | after all; in the end; ultimately |
| 結構 | けっこう kekkou | splendid; nice; wonderful |
| 結論 | けつろん ketsuron | conclusion (of an argument, discussion, study, etc.) |
| 結成 | けっせい kessei | formation; combination |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tie”.
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.