Japanese symbol for “tongue”
舌
した
Romaji: shita
tongue
In Japanese, tongue is 舌, read した (shita).
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 tongue
- n tongue-like object; clapper (of a bell); talon (of a lock); reed (of a musical instrument)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tongue”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弁 | べん ben | speech; tongue; talk |
| タン | タン tan | tongue (beef, pork, etc.) |
| ベロ | ベロ bero | tongue |
| 実 | さね sane | tongue (projecting strip on a board that fits into a groove on another board) |
| 舌革 | したがわ shitagawa | tongue (of a shoe) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 毒舌 | どくぜつ dokuzetsu | wicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive language |
| 舌打ち | したうち shitauchi | clicking one's tongue; tut-tut |
| 弁舌 | べんぜつ benzetsu | speech; eloquence; manner of speaking |
| 二枚舌 | にまいじた nimaijita | double-dealing; duplicity; equivocation |
| 饒舌 | じょうぜつ jouzetsu | talkativeness; garrulity; loquacity |
| 舌戦 | ぜっせん zessen | war of words |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tongue”.
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.