Japanese symbol for “tinsel”

莫臥児

もうる

Romaji: mouru

lace; lacing braid

In Japanese, tinsel is 莫臥児, read もうる (mouru).

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 lace; lacing braid
n chenille yarn
n tinsel
n pipe cleaner; fibre, paper, etc. twisted between a pair of wires

Written forms: 莫臥児、莫臥爾. Readings: もうる、モール.

Kanji and stroke order

莫

must not, do not, be not

on: バク、ボ、マク、モ
kun: くれ、なか.れ、なし

10 strokes

臥

bend down, bow, lie prostrate

on: ガ
kun: ふせ.る、ふ.せる、ふ.す

9 strokes

児

newborn babe, child, young of animals

on: ジ、ニ、ゲイ
kun: こ、-こ、-っこ

7 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
莫大	ばくだい bakudai	vast; huge; immense
莫斯科	モスクワ mosukuwa	Moscow (Russia)
索莫	さくばく sakubaku	dreary; bleak; desolate
莫大小	メリヤス meriyasu	knitted fabric; knitted goods; knitwear
莫逆	ばくぎゃく bakugyaku	cordial relations
莫連	ばくれん bakuren	worldly woman
臥薪嘗胆	がしんしょうたん gashinshoutan	going through thick and thin to attain one's objective; enduring unspeakable hardships for the sake of vengeance
仰臥	ぎょうが gyouga	lying on one's back; lying face upward; lying supine
児童	じどう jidou	children; juvenile

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.