Skip to content

black ink

JLPT N1 14 strokes
Kun'yomi
すみ
On'yomi
ボク
Radical
· earth (earth, soil, ground)

墨 means "black ink". It is a JLPT N1 kanji written in 14 strokes. It is read すみ in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ボク in compounds (on'yomi). It is taught beyond elementary school (junior high and up).

墨 in example sentences

  • ずみれてるの?

    Irezumi ireteru no?

    Do you have a tattoo?

  • それって、ほんとうずみ

    Sore tte, hontou no irezumi?

    Is that a real tattoo?

  • トムはうでにハートのずみれた。

    Tomu wa ude ni haato no irezumi o ireta.

    Tom had a heart tattooed on his arm.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

More (earth) kanji

Common questions

What does the kanji 墨 mean?
墨 means "black ink". It is a JLPT N1 kanji.
How many strokes does 墨 have?
墨 is written in 14 strokes.
How is 墨 read?
It is read すみ in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ボク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 墨?
墨 is a JLPT N1 kanji.