<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

<documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-07</periodOfReport>
<issuer><issuerCik>0001048982</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ARTISAN COMPONENTS INC</issuerName>
<issuerTradingSymbol>ARTI</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId><rptOwnerCik>0001078632</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BECKER SCOTT T</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
<reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Chief Technical Officer</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>30000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>19</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>298802</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Includes 1,519 shares acquired under the Artisan Components, Inc. employee stock purchase plan January  31, 2003.  Reporting person also indirectly holds 20,400 shares in trusts for the benefit of his children and  reporting person's spouse holds 4,766 shares of which 988 shares were acquired under the Artisan Components, Inc. employee stock purchase plan January 31, 2003.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Joyce Chowla</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-05-08</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

