Japanese symbol for “sophistication”
教養
きょうよう
Romaji: kyouyou
(understanding or appreciation of) culture; (one's) education; cultivation; sophistication
In Japanese, sophistication is 教養, read きょうよう (kyouyou).
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 (understanding or appreciation of) culture; (one's) education; cultivation; sophistication; refinement
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sophistication”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 伊達 | だて date | elegance; dandyism; sophistication |
| 垢抜け | あかぬけ akanuke | refinement; style; sophistication |
| 捻り | ひねり hineri | ingenuity; sophistication (e.g. of writing style); taste |
| 雅味 | がみ gami | refinement; elegance; sophistication |
| 粋作り | いきづくり ikizukuri | stylishness (esp. of a woman working at a nightclub, etc.); sophistication; refinement |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 教育 | きょういく kyouiku | education; schooling; training |
| 教え | おしえ oshie | teaching; instruction; teachings |
| 教授 | きょうじゅ kyouju | professor |
| 教師 | きょうし kyoushi | teacher; instructor |
| 宗教 | しゅうきょう shuukyou | religion; religious affiliation; belief |
| 教室 | きょうしつ kyoushitsu | classroom; lecture room |
| 栄養 | えいよう eiyou | nutrition; nourishment |
| 養成 | ようせい yousei | training; education; development |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sophistication”.
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.