Meaning
影 means shadow, silhouette, and reflection. Most concretely, it names the dark shape an object casts when it blocks light — that fleeting outline clinging to every physical form. The kanji also reaches into the abstract: influence, trace, lingering impression. Something invisible can still leave a mark, just as a shadow vanishes when the light shifts but was undeniably there.
Etymologically, 影 is a compound ideograph (会意文字) built from two components. On the left sits 景 (ケイ) — "scenery" or "scene," itself made of 日 (sun) and 京 (capital/height), evoking a sun-drenched landscape. On the right is 彡 (さんづくり), three diagonal strokes representing rays of light or flowing marks. Put them together: a bright scene (景) + radiating light (彡) = the shadow formed when light meets an object. Light sits on the left; its consequence — the shadow — becomes the whole character.
Written with 15 strokes, 影 is a middle school (中学校) level Jōyō kanji. It shows up in newspapers, literature, academic writing, and the technical vocabulary of photography and cinema. Shadow is rarely simple. In classical Japanese poetry, かげ (影) surfaces constantly — moonlight on water, a silhouette on a shoji screen, the fading image of someone gone.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
エイ (ei) is the on'yomi, derived from Middle Chinese. It appears almost exclusively in compound words — formal, academic, literary. You'll see it most in vocabulary around photography, cinema, projection, and the abstract idea of influence. It never appears alone in casual speech.
- 影響 (eikyō) — influence, impact, effect; the single most common compound using this kanji, appearing in news, academia, and everyday conversation
- 撮影 (satsuei) — photography, filming, shooting a film or video; from 撮 (to grasp, to pick up) + 影 (image)
- 投影 (tōei) — projection of light or an image; also used in psychology to mean "projecting" one's feelings onto others
- 陰影 (in'ei) — shading, tonal contrast between shadow and light; used in art criticism and literary description
- 幻影 (gen'ei) — phantom, illusion, hallucination; an image that exists only in the mind
- 暗影 (an'ei) — dark shadow, ominous sign; used metaphorically for threats or gloom hanging over a situation
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
かげ (kage) is the kun'yomi. Use it when 影 stands alone or in compounds with a distinctly Japanese feel. かげ names the concrete shadow a body casts, a silhouette glimpsed through glass, or a face reflected in still water. Poetically, it describes the lingering trace of someone gone — and in classical texts, it can even mean moonlight itself, the "shadow" the moon casts down.
- 影 (kage) — shadow, silhouette, reflection; the standalone noun form
- 人影 (hitokage) — a human shadow, the silhouette of a person; often used to describe a figure glimpsed in the distance or through a screen
- 影絵 (kagee) — shadow picture, silhouette art; the traditional art form using hand shadows or cut paper figures
- 影法師 (kagebōshi) — one's own shadow; used in literature and song for the image of a solitary figure
- 月影 (tsukikage) — moonlit shadow or moonlight; a classical and poetic compound favored in waka poetry
Common Words & Compounds
影 spans a wide range — from the concrete shadow underfoot to political influence to cinematic projection. Key compounds by theme:
Influence & Effect
- 影響 (eikyō) — influence, impact; the most frequently used compound in modern Japanese, appearing in politics, science, economics, and personal relationships
- 影響力 (eikyōryoku) — power of influence, clout; the degree to which someone or something can affect others
- 影響下 (eikyōka) — under the influence of; used to describe being within the sphere of a force or authority
Photography & Visual Arts
- 撮影 (satsuei) — photography, filming, recording; essential vocabulary in media, journalism, and film production
- 撮影所 (satsuei-jo) — film studio, shooting location; where professional filming takes place
- 投影 (tōei) — projection; projecting an image onto a screen, or in psychology, projecting inner feelings outward
Shadow & Light
- 陰影 (in'ei) — shade and shadow; used in art and literature to describe tonal contrast, depth, and emotional nuance
- 人影 (hitokage) — a human figure, silhouette of a person; conjures an atmosphere of mystery or longing
- 影絵 (kagee) — shadow art, silhouette picture; a traditional Japanese folk art form
- 月影 (tsukikage) — moonlit shadow, the image cast by moonlight; classical and poetic in register
Phantom & Trace
- 幻影 (gen'ei) — phantom, illusion, a ghostly image that may not be real
- 残影 (zan'ei) — lingering image, afterimage, fading shadow; the trace left after something is gone
- 暗影 (an'ei) — dark shadow, an ominous shadow looming over events or a nation
- 影法師 (kagebōshi) — one's shadow personified; used poetically for solitary or melancholic figures
Example Sentences
木の影で休みました。
Ki no kage de yasumimashita.
I rested in the shade of the tree.
彼女の影が長く伸びていた。
Kanojo no kage ga nagaku nobite ita.
Her shadow stretched out long across the ground.
窓に人影が映った。
Mado ni hitokage ga utsutta.
A human silhouette was reflected in the window.
この映画は撮影に三年かかった。
Kono eiga wa satsuei ni san-nen kakatta.
This film took three years to shoot.
経済の悪化が生活に大きな影響を与えた。
Keizai no akka ga seikatsu ni ōkina eikyō wo ataeta.
The economic deterioration had a major impact on daily life.
月の影が湖の水面に映っていた。
Tsuki no kage ga mizuumi no suimen ni utsutte ita.
The moon's reflection shimmered on the surface of the lake.
暗闇の中に幻影を見た気がした。
Kurayami no naka ni gen'ei wo mita ki ga shita.
I felt as though I saw a phantom in the darkness.
彼は影のように静かに部屋を出ていった。
Kare wa kage no yō ni shizuka ni heya wo dete itta.
He left the room as quietly as a shadow.
彼女の言葉は私に深い影響を与えた。
Kanojo no kotoba wa watashi ni fukai eikyō wo ataeta.
Her words had a profound influence on me.
戦争の暗影が国全体を覆っていた。
Sensō no an'ei ga kuni zentai wo ōtte ita.
The dark shadow of war hung over the entire nation.
Memory Tip
Picture a sun-lit landscape — that's 景 (the left side), built from 日 (sun) over 京 (capital), open and glowing. Add three rays shooting outward to the right — that's 彡, the radical for light, stripes, or flowing lines. Where those rays hit something solid, a shadow falls on the other side. The character encodes the physics: bright scene + rays of light = 影.
For the on'yomi エイ, anchor it to 影響 (eikyō, influence). A shadow never touches you directly — it shapes the space around you. Influence works exactly the same way.