Japanese symbol for “merchant”
商人
しょうにん
Romaji: shounin
merchant; trader; tradesman; dealer
In Japanese, merchant is 商人, read しょうにん (shounin).
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 merchant; trader; tradesman; dealer; shopkeeper
Written forms: 商人. Readings: しょうにん、あきんど、あきうど、あきゅうど.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “merchant”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 商家 | しょうか shouka | merchant; store; shop |
| 商売人 | しょうばいにん shoubainin | merchant; trader; shrewd businessman |
| 商 | しょう shou | business; merchant; dealer |
| マーチャント | マーチャント maachanto | merchant |
| 市人 | いちびと ichibito | city market seller; merchant |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 商品 | しょうひん shouhin | commodity; article of commerce; goods |
| 商業 | しょうぎょう shougyou | commerce; trade; business |
| 商店 | しょうてん shouten | shop; store; firm |
| 商売 | しょうばい shoubai | trade; business; commerce |
| 商社 | しょうしゃ shousha | trading company |
| 人間 | にんげん ningen | human being; human; person |
| 個人 | こじん kojin | individual; private person; personal |
| 人気 | にんき ninki | popularity; public favor |
See also: Chinese symbol for “merchant”.
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.