妖 — “Attractive / Bewitching / Calamity” in Japanese

Master (高手)よう, あや, なま, わざわ

Radical ⼥ · radical 38 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Attractive / Bewitching / Calamity” in Japanese is 妖, read you, aya, nama (よう, あや, なま, わざわ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 妖怪 (monster/specter).

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What does 妖 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	妖
Meaning	Attractive / Bewitching / Calamity
Readings	よう, あや, なま, わざわ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	妖怪 (monster/specter)

How to read 妖

妖 is read you (よう) or aya (あや) or nama (なま) or wazawa (わざわ) depending on the word.

Words with 妖

妖怪

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Kanji read the same way as 妖

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28