Japanese symbol for “minister”
相
しょう
Romaji: shou
minister (of a government department)
In Japanese, minister is 相, read しょう (shou).
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
- suf minister (of a government department)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “minister”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 神父 | しんぷ shinpu | Catholic priest; abbe; reverend father |
| 牧師 | ぼくし bokushi | pastor; minister; clergyman |
| 公使 | こうし koushi | envoy; diplomat below the rank of ambassador (e.g. deputy chief of mission, charge d'affaires); minister (of legation) |
| 司祭 | しさい shisai | priest; minister; pastor |
| 大殿 | おとど otodo | minister (of government); noble |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 相談 | そうだん soudan | consultation; discussion; discussing |
| 相当 | そうとう soutou | corresponding to (in meaning, function, etc.); being equivalent to |
| 首相 | しゅしょう shushou | prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier |
| 相互 | そうご sougo | mutual; reciprocal |
| 相撲 | すもう sumou | sumo (wrestling) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “minister”.
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.
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