Japanese symbol for “award”
賞
しょう
Romaji: shou
prize; award
In Japanese, award is 賞, read しょう (shou).
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
- n, n-suf prize; award
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “award”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 与える | あたえる ataeru | to give (esp. to someone of lower status); to bestow; to grant |
| 裁定 | さいてい saitei | decision; ruling; award |
| 授ける | さずける sazukeru | to grant; to give; to confer |
| 褒賞 | ほうしょう houshou | prize; award; reward |
| 贈る | おくる okuru | to confer; to bestow; to award |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 賞金 | しょうきん shoukin | prize money; monetary award; reward |
| 鑑賞 | かんしょう kanshou | appreciation (of art, music, poetry, etc.) |
| 受賞 | じゅしょう jushou | winning a prize; receiving an award; being awarded |
| 入賞 | にゅうしょう nyuushou | winning a prize; placing (high; in a contest) |
| 大賞 | たいしょう taishou | big prize; first prize |
| 賞賛 | しょうさん shousan | praise; admiration; commendation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “award”.
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.