Japanese symbol for “clarity”
冴え
さえ
Romaji: sae
clearness; clarity
In Japanese, clarity is 冴え, read さえ (sae).
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 clearness; clarity
- n skillfulness (skilfulness)
Written forms: 冴え、冱え、冴. Readings: さえ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “clarity”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 顕 | けん ken | exposure; clarity |
| 通り | とおり toori | understanding; comprehension; comprehensibility |
| 抜け | ぬけ nuke | definition (of photograph); sharpness; clarity (sound) |
| 透徹 | とうてつ toutetsu | clarity; coherence |
| 著明 | ちょめい chomei | clarity |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冴える | さえる saeru | to be clear (of a sight, sound, colour, etc.); to be bright; to be vivid |
| 冴え渡る | さえわたる saewataru | to be clear; to be distinct; to be precise |
| 冴え輝く | さえかがやく saekagayaku | to shine clearly |
| 冴え行く | さえゆく saeyuku | to clear gradually; to get cold gradually |
| 冴え返る | さえかえる saekaeru | to be very clear |
See also: Chinese symbol for “clarity”.
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.