Japanese symbol for “smiling”
和やか
にこやか
Romaji: nikoyaka
smiling; beaming; radiant; bright
In Japanese, smiling is 和やか, read にこやか (nikoyaka).
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
- adj-na smiling; beaming; radiant; bright; cheerful
Written forms: 和やか、柔やか. Readings: にこやか.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “smiling”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 莞爾 | かんじ kanji | smiling |
| ニマニマ | ニマニマ nimanima | smiling; grinning |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 平和 | へいわ heiwa | peace; harmony |
| 昭和 | しょうわ shouwa | Shōwa era (1926.12.25-1989.1.7) |
| 緩和 | かんわ kanwa | relief; mitigation; alleviation |
| 和解 | わかい wakai | reconciliation; amicable settlement; accommodation |
| 和平 | わへい wahei | peace |
| 調和 | ちょうわ chouwa | harmony; accord; reconciliation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “smiling”.
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.