Wabi Sabi in Japanese
"wabi sabi" is written as one word in Japanese. No single kanji carries the meaning on its own.
The characters below are the ones most often used to write "wabi sabi" and related ideas.
Which one to use
侘寂 is two words joined. 侘 is beauty in what is plain, lacking and solitary. 寂 is beauty in what has aged and grown quiet — the patina of use. Together they name an aesthetic that neither character carries alone, and the pairing is more common in English than in Japanese.
Top pick
wabi, austere beauty, lonely
Reading: ta
8 strokes · peaceful, wisdom
Where it comes from
The person radical with a phonetic element. In Chinese it carried the sense of boasting; Japan gave it the reading wabi and turned it into a word for finding beauty in what is lacking.
What it carries
The aesthetic carried from Murata Juko to Sen no Rikyu in the tea ceremony. Paired with sabi as wabi-sabi, it names the view that what is chipped, aged, or plain is the beautiful thing.
Related kanji for "wabi sabi"
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for wabi sabi?
The most common kanji for "wabi sabi" is 侘, read as ta. It means wabi, austere beauty, lonely. Related kanji: 寂 (wabi sabi).
How many strokes does 侘 have?
侘 has 8 strokes.