Japanese symbol for “wax”
蝋
ろう
Romaji: rou
wax
In Japanese, wax is 蝋, read ろう (rou).
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 wax
Written forms: 蝋、蠟. Readings: ろう、ロウ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wax”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ワックス | ワックス wakkusu | wax (esp. for polishing) |
| 満ちる | みちる michiru | to wax (of the moon) |
| 引く | ひく hiku | to apply (e.g. lipstick); to oil (e.g. a pan); to wax (e.g. a floor) |
| 満つ | みつ mitsu | to wax (e.g. moon) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蝋燭 | ろうそく rousoku | candle |
| 蜜蝋 | みつろう mitsurou | beeswax |
| 蝋梅 | ろうばい roubai | wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox); Japanese allspice |
| 封蝋 | ふうろう fuurou | sealing wax |
| 木蝋 | もくろう mokurou | vegetable wax; Japan wax; sumac wax |
| 屍蝋 | しろう shirou | adipocere (waxy substance formed by the decomposition of corpses subjected to moisture); grave wax |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wax”.
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.