Japanese symbol for “symbol”
象徴
しょうちょう
Romaji: shouchou
symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation
In Japanese, symbol is 象徴, read しょうちょう (shouchou).
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, vs, vt symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “symbol”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 記号 | きごう kigou | sign; symbol; mark |
| シンボル | シンボル shinboru | symbol |
| 印 | しるし shirushi | symbol; emblem |
| マーク | マーク maaku | mark; sign; symbol |
| 符号 | ふごう fugou | sign; mark; symbol |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 対象 | たいしょう taishou | target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.) |
| 印象 | いんしょう inshou | impression |
| 現象 | げんしょう genshou | phenomenon |
| 気象 | きしょう kishou | weather (conditions) |
| 気象庁 | きしょうちょう kishouchou | (Japanese) Meteorological Agency; JMA |
| 特徴 | とくちょう tokuchou | feature; trait; characteristic |
| 徴収 | ちょうしゅう choushuu | collection (of fees, taxes, etc.); levy |
| 徴兵 | ちょうへい chouhei | conscription; (military) draft; (compulsory) enlistment |
See also: Chinese symbol for “symbol”.
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.