ジャスミン
Your name
Jasmine
in Japanese
The default way to write Jasmine in Japanese is ジャスミン — a phonetic katakana spelling that captures the sound and signals, instantly to a Japanese reader, that the name comes from elsewhere. But katakana is only one of three answers Japanese gives to a foreign name.
Below, we show all three. First the official katakana. Then a set of meaning kanji chosen to express what Jasmine actually means at the root — From the Persian 'yasmin' (یاسمین), referring to the jasmine flower — a fragrant white blossom symbolizing grace, sensuality, purity, and elegance. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Jasmine is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Jasmine" means: From the Persian 'yasmin' (یاسمین), referring to the jasmine flower — a fragrant white blossom symbolizing grace, sensuality, purity, and elegance.
茉莉花
Marika
茉 (ma) + 莉 (ri) together form the literal Japanese/Chinese word for jasmine; 花 (ka) means 'flower.' A direct botanical translation — the true name of the jasmine flower in kanji.
白香
Shirika
白 (shiro/shi) means 'white,' evoking the pure white petals of jasmine; 香 (ka) means 'fragrance' or 'perfume.' Together: 'white fragrance' — capturing the flower's defining qualities of purity and scent.
優雅
Yuga
優 (yū) means 'gentle, graceful, superior'; 雅 (ga) means 'elegance, refinement.' Together: 'graceful elegance' — reflecting jasmine's symbolic association with poise and beauty.
Ateji — Sound + Meaning
Where the sound matches and the kanji tell their own small story. The Edo scholars and modern manga authors both played this game.
蛇珠美人
Jasumin
蛇 (ja) 'serpent' (mystical, alluring); 珠 (su/ju, here voiced as su) 'jewel, pearl'; 美 (mi) 'beauty'; 人 (n, abbreviated sound) 'person.' A mystical reading: 'serpent-jewel beauty' — exotic and enchanting, evoking a mythic priestess.
煌澄実
Jasumi(n)
煌 (ja, creative reading from 'kira/kō' for sparkle) 'sparkling, brilliant'; 澄 (su) 'clear, pure, transparent'; 実 (mi) 'truth, fruit, sincerity.' Together: 'a brilliant, pure truth' — a cool, luminous-sounding ateji.
茶寿宙
Jasumin → Chasumi
茶 (cha→ja, playful sound shift) 'tea' (cozy, warm); 寿 (su/ju) 'longevity, celebration'; 宙 (chū→n, abbreviated) 'cosmos, sky.' A cute-mystical blend: 'celebratory tea of the cosmos' — whimsical, like a cafe witch's name.
Not sure which form to use?
Katakana, meaning kanji, and ateji each belong to a different part of Japanese life — official paperwork, calligraphy and gifts, signatures and wordplay. Our full guide walks through when to reach for each one.
Read the guide: the three ways to write your name in Japanese →
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