Japanese symbol for “tuna”
鮪
まぐろ
Romaji: maguro
tuna (Thunnus spp.; esp. the Pacific bluefin)
In Japanese, tuna is 鮪, read まぐろ (maguro).
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 tuna (Thunnus spp.; esp. the Pacific bluefin)
- n dead fish (person who is unresponsive or passive during sex); starfish
- n body of a person struck by a train
- n person unconscious due to alcohol
Written forms: 鮪. Readings: マグロ、まぐろ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tuna”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ツナ | ツナ tsuna | tuna (esp. canned) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鮪釣り | まぐろつり magurotsuri | tuna fishing |
| 梶木鮪 | かじきまぐろ kajikimaguro | marlin; swordfish; spearfish |
| 黒鮪 | くろまぐろ kuromaguro | Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) |
| 葱鮪 | ねぎま negima | one-pot meal of green onions and tuna |
| 黄肌鮪 | きはだまぐろ kihadamaguro | yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) |
| 葱鮪鍋 | ねぎまなべ negimanabe | stew based on spring onions and tuna |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tuna”.
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.