King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “makeup”

Romaji: kouzou
structure; construction; makeup; framework

In Japanese, makeup is , read (kouzou).

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

  1. n structure; construction; makeup; framework; organization; pattern

Kanji and stroke order

posture, stance, appearance
on: コウ
kun: かま.える、かま.う
14 strokes · JLPT 2
create, make, structure
on: ゾウ
kun: つく.る、つく.り、-づく.り
10 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “makeup”

WordReadingMeaning
こうせい kouseicomposition; construction; formation
けしょう keshoumake-up; makeup; cosmetics
かお kaomakeup; cosmetics
よそおい yosooidress; outfit; equipment
メイク meikumake-up; makeup

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
けっこう kekkousplendid; nice; wonderful
こうせい kouseicomposition; construction; formation
きこう kikoumechanism; machinery
こうそう kousouplan; plot; idea
こうちく kouchikuconstruction; building; putting up
せいぞう seizoumanufacture; production
かいぞう kaizouremodeling; remodelling; reconstruction
そうぞう souzoucreation

See also: Chinese symbol for “makeup”.

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.