Japanese symbol for “sobriety”
素顔
すがお
Romaji: sugao
face with no make-up; unpainted face
In Japanese, sobriety is 素顔, read すがお (sugao).
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 face with no make-up; unpainted face
- n true face (of a country, celebrity, etc.); real face; true picture; real nature
- n sober face; sobriety
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sobriety”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 素面 | しらふ shirafu | sobriety; soberness |
| 素面 | すめん sumen | sobriety |
| 素っぴん | すっぴん suppin | sobriety |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 要素 | ようそ youso | element; component; factor |
| 素材 | そざい sozai | ingredient; (raw) material; resource |
| 素敵 | すてき suteki | lovely; wonderful; charming |
| 素人 | しろうと shirouto | amateur; layman; ordinary person |
| 素直 | すなお sunao | obedient; meek; docile |
| 酸素 | さんそ sanso | oxygen (O) |
| 笑顔 | えがお egao | smiling face; smile |
| 顔ぶれ | かおぶれ kaobure | personnel; members; lineup (of a team) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sobriety”.
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.