Japanese symbol for “violet”
紫
むらさき
Romaji: murasaki
purple; violet
In Japanese, violet is 紫, read むらさき (murasaki).
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
- adj-no, n purple; violet
- n purple gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon); red gromwell; red-root gromwell
- n soy sauce
Written forms: 紫、茈. Readings: むらさき、ムラサキ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “violet”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 紫色 | むらさきいろ murasakiiro | purple; violet |
| 菫 | すみれ sumire | violet (any flower of genus Viola, esp. the Fuji dawn, Viola mandshurica) |
| バイオレット | バイオレット baioretto | violet |
| すみれ色 | すみれいろ sumireiro | violet (colour) |
| 縁の色 | ゆかりのいろ yukarinoiro | violet |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 紫外線 | しがいせん shigaisen | ultraviolet rays; ultraviolet radiation; UV radiation |
| 紫色 | むらさきいろ murasakiiro | purple; violet |
| 紫陽花 | あじさい ajisai | bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla); French hydrangea |
| 紫綬褒章 | しじゅほうしょう shijuhoushou | Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon (awarded for scholarly or artistic achievement) |
| 紫紺 | しこん shikon | dark purple; bluish purple |
| 筑紫 | つくし tsukushi | Tsukushi (former province located in northern Kyūshū; later split into Chikuzen and Chikugo) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “violet”.
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.