Meaning
姿 means figure, form, and appearance — but it reaches past plain description. It names the full visual impression something makes: the way a person stands, the silhouette they cast, the image they leave in your mind. Think of a dancer frozen mid-performance, or someone silhouetted against a window at dusk. That arrested image is 姿.
The word extends well beyond people. A crane lifting off has its 姿. So do cherry blossoms in the moment before they scatter, and a volcano seen from the sea. Wherever a scene asks you to stop and truly look, Japanese reaches for 姿. It is a kanji of imagery and impression.
Structurally, 姿 pairs 次 (シ, "next") on top with 女 (woman) below. 次 serves as a phonetic element — it supplies the on'yomi reading シ. 女 grounds it in the human domain. Together they suggest a figure stepping into view, presenting herself to be seen.
Nine strokes. Jōyō kanji at the middle-school level. At N1, 姿 appears most in literary and formal writing, where its visual weight earns its place.
姿 can also turn inward. 本来の姿 (ほんらいのすがた, "one's true form") shows how the word carries a sense of essence, not just surface appearance — what something genuinely is beneath the image it projects.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading is シ (shi). It appears in formal compound words and literary vocabulary. Less common in everyday speech than the kun'yomi, シ compounds still show up regularly in newspapers and formal writing — essential for N1 reading comprehension.
- 姿勢 (shisei) — posture, attitude, stance. The most common シ compound. It covers physical posture and figurative stance alike, as in 積極的な姿勢 (a proactive attitude).
- 容姿 (yōshi) — personal appearance, looks. 容 (face, expression) + 姿. Describes overall physical appearance; common in discussions of presentation and first impressions.
- 雄姿 (yūshi) — heroic figure, majestic appearance. Used for awe-inspiring sights: a great warrior, a champion athlete, or a mountain range at dawn.
- 姿態 (shitai) — figure, pose, bearing. A literary term for someone's bodily form and carriage, often in artistic or aesthetic contexts.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi reading is すがた (sugata) — the reading you'll meet most in daily conversation. すがた is almost always visual. It calls up a mental image: the すがた of a childhood friend you haven't seen in years, someone disappearing around a corner, a parent watching their child take the stage. Intimate, image-laden, and hard to forget.
- 姿 (sugata) — figure, form, appearance (standalone)
- 後ろ姿 (ushirosugata) — the view of someone from behind; their retreating figure. Carries a melancholic feeling in Japanese literature and song.
- 立ち姿 (tachisugata) — one's standing figure; how a person looks while standing
- 姿見 (sugatami) — a full-length mirror (literally "figure-viewing mirror")
Common Words & Compounds
These compounds are grouped by theme. Learning them in context builds an intuitive feel for how 姿 works across different registers.
Appearance and Looks
- 姿 (sugata) — figure, form, overall appearance
- 容姿 (yōshi) — personal appearance, physical looks
- 姿形 (sugatakatachi) — figure and form; one's entire outward appearance
- 姿態 (shitai) — figure, pose, carriage (literary)
Posture and Bearing
- 姿勢 (shisei) — posture, attitude, stance
- 立ち姿 (tachisugata) — standing figure, bearing while standing
- 勇姿 (yūshi) — gallant, brave figure
- 雄姿 (yūshi) — heroic, majestic figure
Memorable Images and Set Expressions
- 後ろ姿 (ushirosugata) — figure seen from behind; retreating image
- 姿見 (sugatami) — full-length mirror
- 舞い姿 (maisugata) — dancing figure; the appearance of someone dancing
- 姿を消す (sugata wo kesu) — to disappear, to vanish (literally "to erase one's figure")
- 姿を現す (sugata wo arawasu) — to appear, to show oneself (literally "to reveal one's figure")
- 本来の姿 (honrai no sugata) — one's true form, original nature
Example Sentences
彼女の後ろ姿が美しかった。
Kanojo no ushirosugata ga utsukushikatta.
Her figure from behind was beautiful.
鏡で自分の姿を確認した。
Kagami de jibun no sugata wo kakunin shita.
I checked my appearance in the mirror.
子どもたちが走る姿はとてもかわいい。
Kodomotachi ga hashiru sugata wa totemo kawaii.
The sight of children running is so adorable.
彼は正しい姿勢で座るように先生に言われた。
Kare wa tadashii shisei de suwaru yō ni sensei ni iwareta.
He was told by his teacher to sit with proper posture.
突然、男の人の姿が消えた。
Totsuzen, otoko no hito no sugata ga kieta.
Suddenly, the man's figure disappeared.
容姿より内面が大切だと思います。
Yōshi yori naimen ga taisetsu da to omoimasu.
I believe inner character is more important than physical appearance.
富士山の雄姿は何度見ても感動する。
Fujisan no yūshi wa nando mite mo kandō suru.
No matter how many times I see the majestic figure of Mt. Fuji, I'm always moved.
彼女は舞台で踊る姿が一番輝いている。
Kanojo wa butai de odoru sugata ga ichiban kagayaite iru.
She shines the brightest when she dances on stage.
子どもの頃の自分の姿を写真で見た。
Kodomo no koro no jibun no sugata wo shashin de mita.
I saw a photo of what I looked like as a child.
あの選手の勇姿は今でも目に焼き付いている。
Ano senshu no yūshi wa ima demo me ni yakitsuite iru.
That athlete's gallant figure is still burned into my memory.
Memory Tip
Picture this: you're backstage at a theater, and the next (次) performer — a graceful woman (女) — steps forward into the spotlight. Her entire presence, the way she holds herself, the silhouette she cuts against the light: that is her 姿.
The kanji literally stacks 次 over 女, as if that woman is stepping out to be seen. That image holds across every use of 姿. The 後ろ姿 of someone walking away. The 雄姿 of a mountain at sunrise. Your own reflection in a 姿見. Each time, the kanji asks you to pause and look — to take in a figure before it disappears.
The "next woman stepping forward" is your anchor: nine strokes, one unforgettable picture.