銘 — “Inscription / Signature (of Artisan)” in Japanese

Master (高手)めい

Radical ⾦ · radical 167 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Inscription / Signature (of Artisan)” in Japanese is 銘, read mei (めい). 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 銘柄 (brand).

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What does 銘 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	銘
Meaning	Inscription / Signature (of Artisan)
Readings	めい
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	銘柄 (brand)

How to read 銘

銘 is read mei (めい) depending on the word.

Words with 銘

銘柄

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Kanji read the same way as 銘

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

Updated: 2026-08-28