Japanese symbol for “whirl”
渦巻く
うずまく
Romaji: uzumaku
to whirl; to eddy; to swirl; to curl (of smoke)
In Japanese, whirl is 渦巻く, read うずまく (uzumaku).
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
- v5k, vi to whirl; to eddy; to swirl; to curl (of smoke)
- v5k, vi to whirl around (of feelings, thoughts, etc.); to swirl around; to surge
Written forms: 渦巻く、うず巻く、渦まく. Readings: うずまく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “whirl”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 舞う | まう mau | to whirl (in the wind); to flutter (about); to swirl |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 渦巻き | うずまき uzumaki | whirlpool; maelstrom; vortex |
| 渦中 | かちゅう kachuu | vortex; maelstrom; whirlpool |
| 渦潮 | うずしお uzushio | whirling tides |
| 戦渦 | せんか senka | chaos of war; war turmoil |
| 渦状 | かじょう kajou | spiral |
| 巻き込む | まきこむ makikomu | to roll up; to enfold; to swallow up |
| 竜巻 | たつまき tatsumaki | tornado; whirlwind; waterspout |
| 巻き添え | まきぞえ makizoe | getting mixed up in; getting embroiled in; involvement |
See also: Chinese symbol for “whirl”.
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.