black ink, India ink, ink stick, Mexico
On'yomi (音読み)
- ボク
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- すみ
About this kanji
The kanji 墨 (すみ) primarily means 'ink,' especially black or India ink. This character typically serves as a noun. You can find it in compounds like 入れ墨 (いれずみ), which means 'tattoo,' often referring to traditional Japanese designs. Another example is 墨西哥 (メキシコ), which is the Japanese name for 'Mexico.' Additionally, 水墨画 (すいぼくが) translates to 'India-ink painting,' a beautiful art form using this ink. A useful expression is お墨付き (おすみつき), meaning 'certificate' or 'endorsement.' Keep in mind that while 墨 relates to ink, it also connects to traditions and artistic practices in Japanese culture.
Example sentences
墨で書いた字は力強い。
Characters written in ink are powerful.
Meanings across languages
- English
- black ink, India ink, ink stick, Mexico
- Tiếng Việt
- mực đen
- 日本語
- 墨
- 한국어
- 먹
- 中文
- 墨
- id
- tinta hitam, tinta India, batang tinta, Meksiko
- th
- หมึกดำ, หมึกอินเดีย, แท่งหมึก, เม็กซิโก
- es
- tinta negra, tinta india, tinta en barra, México
- fr
- encre noire, encre indienne, bâton d'encre, Mexique
- de
- schwarze Tinte, Indertinte, Tintenstick, Mexiko
- pt
- tinta preta, tinta da Índia, caneta de tinta, México
Common compounds
- 入れ墨いれずみtattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one), tattooing
- 墨西哥メキシコMexico
- 水墨画すいぼくがIndia-ink painting, ink wash painting
- お墨付きおすみつきcertificate, certified document, authorization
- 墨絵すみえink painting
- 墨書ぼくしょwriting in India ink
- 翰墨かんぼくbrush and ink, writing, drawing
- 靴墨くつずみshoe polish
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.