Japanese symbol for “tofu”

豆腐

とうふ

Romaji: toufu

tofu; bean curd; beancurd

In Japanese, tofu is 豆腐, read とうふ (toufu).

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 tofu; bean curd; beancurd

Written forms: 豆腐、豆富、豆冨. Readings: とうふ.

Kanji and stroke order

豆

beans, pea, midget

on: トウ、ズ
kun: まめ、まめ-

7 strokes · JLPT 1

腐

rot, decay, sour

on: フ
kun: くさ.る、-くさ.る、くさ.れる、くさ.れ

14 strokes · JLPT 1

Other Japanese words for “tofu”

Word	Reading	Meaning
白壁	しらかべ shirakabe	tofu; bean curd
御壁	おかべ okabe	tofu
白物	しろもの shiromono	salt; tofu; white sake

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
納豆	なっとう nattou	natto (fermented soybeans)
大豆	だいず daizu	soya bean (Glycine max); soybean; soy
小豆	あずき azuki	adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)
豆乳	とうにゅう tounyuu	soy milk
枝豆	えだまめ edamame	edamame (green soybeans)
腐敗	ふはい fuhai	decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence
腐食	ふしょく fushoku	rot; decay; erosion
腐る	くさる kusaru	to rot; to go bad; to decay

See also: Chinese symbol for “tofu”.

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.