文ぶん身しん

also: いれずみ

ぶ

ん

し

ん

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

tattoo (esp. traditional Japanese); tattooing

Refers to both the tattoo itself and the act of tattooing. The form 文身 is a rare literary term; the everyday word is 入れ墨 (いれずみ).

Written forms

文身Usage100%
- ぶんしん
  Literary kanji compound for tattoo; rarely used in modern Japanese. The reading いれずみ is a gikun (special kanji reading) for this form.
- いれずみ
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
入いれ墨ずみ
Standard common spelling for tattoo. This is the usual word; 文身 is a rare literary variant.
刺青いれずみ
Alternative kanji for tattoo, often associated with traditional Japanese tattooing. Also read しせい.
いれずみ
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kana spelling, common in everyday writing.

Kanji

文sentence, literature, style
身somebody, person, one's station in life

Similar words

入いれ墨ずみ
The standard, everyday word for tattoo. 文身 is a rare literary synonym.
刺し青せい
Another kanji form for tattoo, often used for traditional Japanese tattoos. Can also be read いれずみ.
タトゥー
Loanword from English, used for modern, Western-style tattoos.

Etymology

Compound of 文 (pattern, design) and 身 (body). The reading いれずみ is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) derived from the verb 入れる (to put in) and 墨 (ink), reflecting the traditional method of inserting ink under the skin.