Japanese symbol for “shimmer”
耀う
かがよう
Romaji: kagayou
to shimmer; to sparkle
In Japanese, shimmer is 耀う, read かがよう (kagayou).
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
- v5u, vi to shimmer; to sparkle
Written forms: 耀う、赫う. Readings: かがよう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shimmer”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| さざめく | さざめく sazameku | to shimmer; to ripple; to sparkle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 栄耀 | えいよう eiyou | luxury; splendour; splendor |
| 光耀 | こうよう kouyou | shining; glittering |
| 衒耀 | げんよう gen'you | false glitter |
| 栄耀栄華 | えいようえいが eiyoueiga | wealth, prosperity, and arrogant splendor (splendour); (living sumptuously) intoxicated by wealth and power; luxury |
| 宣耀殿 | せんようでん sen'youden | ladies' pavilion (of the inner Heian Palace) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “shimmer”.
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.