Japanese symbol for “yuko”

有効

ゆうこう

Romaji: yuukou

valid; effective

In Japanese, yuko is 有効, read ゆうこう (yuukou).

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, n valid; effective
n yuko (judo) (MA)

Kanji and stroke order

有

possess, have, exist

on: ユウ、ウ
kun: あ.る

6 strokes · JLPT 3

効

merit, efficacy, efficiency

on: コウ
kun: き.く、ききめ、なら.う

8 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
有る	ある aru	to be; to exist; to live
有名	ゆうめい yuumei	famous; well-known
所有	しょゆう shoyuu	possession; ownership
有料	ゆうりょう yuuryou	fee-charging; paid; not free
有利	ゆうり yuuri	advantageous; favourable; better
効果	こうか kouka	effect; effectiveness; efficacy
効率	こうりつ kouritsu	efficiency
無効	むこう mukou	invalid; void; ineffective

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.