Japanese symbol for “appearances”
表面
ひょうめん
Romaji: hyoumen
surface; face
In Japanese, appearances is 表面, read ひょうめん (hyoumen).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n surface; face
- adj-no, n outside; exterior
- adj-no, n appearances; superficiality
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “appearances”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見栄 | みえ mie | show; display; pretensions |
| 体裁 | ていさい teisai | appearances; decency; show |
| 体面 | たいめん taimen | honour; honor; dignity |
| 伊達 | だて date | affectation; showing off; putting on an air |
| 上面 | うわつら uwatsura | surface; appearances; exterior |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 発表 | はっぴょう happyou | announcement; publication; presenting |
| 代表 | だいひょう daihyou | representation; representative; delegate |
| 表現 | ひょうげん hyougen | expression; representation; description |
| 表情 | ひょうじょう hyoujou | facial expression; countenance |
| 公表 | こうひょう kouhyou | official announcement; proclamation |
| 画面 | がめん gamen | screen (of a TV, computer, etc.) |
| 面倒 | めんどう mendou | trouble; bother |
| 面白い | おもしろい omoshiroi | interesting; fascinating; intriguing |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.