Japanese symbol for “wave”
波
なみ
Romaji: nami
wave; billow; ripple; breaker
In Japanese, wave is 波, read なみ (nami).
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 wave; billow; ripple; breaker; swell
- n ups and downs
- n (something) advancing step by step; (something) surging forward inopposably; succession of changes
- n tendency; (new) wave (art)
Written forms: 波、浪、濤. Readings: なみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wave”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 振り | ふり furi | swing; shake; sweep |
| 振る | ふる furu | to wave; to shake; to swing |
| 振り回す | ふりまわす furimawasu | to wield; to brandish; to flourish |
| ウェーブ | ウェーブ weebu | wave (on water) |
| 翻る | ひるがえる hirugaeru | to flutter (in the wind); to wave; to flap |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電波 | でんぱ denpa | radio wave; reception; signal |
| 津波 | つなみ tsunami | tsunami; tidal wave |
| 波乱 | はらん haran | disturbance; trouble; commotion |
| 難波 | なにわ naniwa | Naniwa (former name for Osaka region) |
| 波長 | はちょう hachou | wavelength |
| 周波数 | しゅうはすう shuuhasuu | frequency (esp. of waveforms) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wave”.
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.