Japanese symbol for “yeast”
酵母
こうぼ
Romaji: koubo
yeast; leaven
In Japanese, yeast is 酵母, read こうぼ (koubo).
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 yeast; leaven
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “yeast”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| イースト | イースト iisuto | yeast |
| 醸母 | じょうぼ joubo | leaven; yeast |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 酵素 | こうそ kouso | enzyme |
| 発酵 | はっこう hakkou | fermentation; zymosis |
| 酵素学 | こうそがく kousogaku | enzymology |
| 酵母菌 | こうぼきん koubokin | yeast fungus |
| 発酵乳 | はっこうにゅう hakkounyuu | fermented milk; cultured milk; fermented milk product |
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| お母さん | おかあさん okaasan | mother; mom; mum |
| 祖母 | そぼ sobo | grandmother |
See also: Chinese symbol for “yeast”.
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.