Japanese symbol for “ensign”
少尉
しょうい
Romaji: shoui
second lieutenant; sublieutenant; ensign
In Japanese, ensign is 少尉, read しょうい (shoui).
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 second lieutenant; sublieutenant; ensign (mil)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ensign”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 軍旗 | ぐんき gunki | battle flag; standard; (regimental) colours |
| 旗幟 | きし kishi | flag; banner; ensign |
| 標章 | ひょうしょう hyoushou | emblem; ensign; mark |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 少し | すこし sukoshi | a little; a bit; a small amount |
| 少年 | しょうねん shounen | boy |
| 少女 | しょうじょ shoujo | girl (usu. between 7 and 17); young lady |
| 少ない | すくない sukunai | few; little; small (amount) |
| 減少 | げんしょう genshou | decrease; reduction; decline |
| 多少 | たしょう tashou | a little; some; somewhat |
| 大尉 | たいい taii | captain (Army, US Marine Corps, USAF); lieutenant (Navy); flight lieutenant (RAF, RAAF, RNZAF, etc.) |
| 中尉 | ちゅうい chuui | first lieutenant; lieutenant junior grade |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ensign”.
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.