Japanese symbol for “portrayal”
描写
びょうしゃ
Romaji: byousha
depiction; description; portrayal
In Japanese, portrayal is 描写, read びょうしゃ (byousha).
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, vs, vt depiction; description; portrayal
Written forms: 描写、描寫. Readings: びょうしゃ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “portrayal”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 写生 | しゃせい shasei | sketching; drawing from nature; portrayal |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 描く | えがく egaku | to draw; to paint; to sketch |
| 素描 | そびょう sobyou | drawing; sketch |
| 手描き | てがき tegaki | hand-drawn; drawn by hand; hand-painted |
| 描き出す | えがきだす egakidasu | to delineate; to draw; to express |
| 思い描く | おもいえがく omoiegaku | to imagine; to picture; to figure |
| 写真 | しゃしん shashin | photograph; photo; picture |
| 写る | うつる utsuru | to be photographed; to be projected |
| 被写体 | ひしゃたい hishatai | (photographic) subject |
See also: Chinese symbol for “portrayal”.
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.