粧 — “Cosmetics / Adorn (one's Person)” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょう

Radical ⽶ · radical 119 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Cosmetics / Adorn (one's Person)” in Japanese is 粧, read shou (しょう). 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 化粧 (makeup).

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What does 粧 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	粧
Meaning	Cosmetics / Adorn (one's Person)
Readings	しょう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	化粧 (makeup)

How to read 粧

粧 is read shou (しょう) depending on the word.

Words with 粧

化粧

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Kanji read the same way as 粧

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

Updated: 2026-08-28