Japanese symbol for “pretensions”

見栄

みえ

Romaji: mie

show; display; pretensions; appearances

In Japanese, pretensions is 見栄, read みえ (mie).

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 show; display; pretensions; appearances; ostentation; vanity
n pose; posture (kabuki)

Written forms: 見栄、見え、見得. Readings: みえ.

Kanji and stroke order

見

see, hopes, chances

on: ケン
kun: み.る、み.える、み.せる

7 strokes · JLPT 4

栄

flourish, prosperity, honor

on: エイ、ヨウ
kun: さか.える、は.え、-ば.え、は.える

9 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
見る	みる miru	to see; to look; to watch
発見	はっけん hakken	discovery; detection; finding
意見	いけん iken	opinion; view; comment
見える	みえる mieru	to be seen; to be visible; to be in sight
見かけ	みかけ mikake	outward appearance
会見	かいけん kaiken	interview; audience; meeting
栄養	えいよう eiyou	nutrition; nourishment
繁栄	はんえい han'ei	prosperity; thriving; flourishing

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.