Japanese symbol for “elf”
妖精
ようせい
Romaji: yousei
fairy; sprite; elf
In Japanese, elf is 妖精, read ようせい (yousei).
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 fairy; sprite; elf
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “elf”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| エルフ | エルフ erufu | elf |
| 一寸法師 | いっすんぼうし issunboushi | dwarf; midget; elf |
| 仙女 | せんじょ senjo | fairy; nymph; elf |
| 小妖精 | しょうようせい shouyousei | elf; pixy; sprite |
| 小鬼 | こおに kooni | imp; elf; pixie |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 妖怪 | ようかい youkai | ghost; apparition; phantom |
| 妖艶 | ようえん youen | fascinating; voluptuous; bewitching |
| 妖魔 | ようま youma | ghost; monster; demon |
| 妖狐 | ようこ youko | fox with supernatural powers; fox spirit |
| 妖刀 | ようとう youtou | bewitched sword; magical sword; demon sword |
| 精神 | せいしん seishin | mind; spirit; soul |
| 精密 | せいみつ seimitsu | precise; exact; detailed |
| 精通 | せいつう seitsuu | being well versed (in); being well acquainted (with); being familiar (with) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “elf”.
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.