Japanese symbol for “purely”
明
さや
Romaji: saya
clearly; brightly
In Japanese, purely is 明, read さや (saya).
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
- adv clearly; brightly
- adv cleanly; purely
Written forms: 明、清. Readings: さや.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “purely”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 飽くまで | あくまで akumade | after all; it must be remembered; only |
| 飽くまでも | あくまでも akumademo | after all; it must be remembered; only |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 説明 | せつめい setsumei | explanation; exposition; description |
| 明日 | あした ashita | tomorrow |
| 明らか | あきらか akiraka | clear; obvious; evident |
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure; indistinct |
| 証明 | しょうめい shoumei | proof; testimony; demonstration |
| 明確 | めいかく meikaku | clear; precise; definite |
See also: Chinese symbol for “purely”.
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.