Meaning
爵 means noble rank, peerage, or court title — the formal hierarchy through which aristocratic status was recognized in East Asian imperial courts. In Japan, it defined the Meiji-era peerage system (華族制度, kazoku seido), which classified the aristocracy into five distinct ranks drawn from ancient Chinese and European models.
The character traces back to ancient China, where it depicted a ceremonial bronze wine vessel called jué in Chinese. These ritual cups — three-legged, with a long pouring spout and two upright pillars — appeared exclusively at ancestral rites and imperial banquets. Only the emperor could present them, and only nobles of the highest standing could receive them. The cup became the title. The gift became the rank.
Look at the character's structure and the origin becomes clear. The 爫 radical at the top — a claw or grasping hand — suggests something being carefully held and presented. Below it, the strokes echo the silhouette of that ceremonial vessel: its body, base, and distinctive shape. Writing 爵 correctly takes 17 strokes. It appears on the official Jōyō kanji list but belongs firmly to formal, historical, or literary contexts. You won't encounter it in casual conversation.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
One on'yomi: シャク (SHAKU). This reading appears in virtually every compound that includes 爵. Since the character itself is confined to formal contexts — aristocratic rank, historical titles, institutional peerage — mastering シャク and its major compounds covers everything you need for N1-level reading of Meiji-era and classical texts.
Key compounds using the シャク reading:
- 爵位 (shakui) — peerage, noble rank as a formal social position
- 爵号 (shakugō) — a formal title of nobility bestowed upon a peer
- 叙爵 (joshaku) — the act of conferring a noble rank
- 受爵 (jūshaku) — receiving a noble title, being granted peerage
- 封爵 (hōshaku) — enfeoffment: granting a title together with land and domain
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
No standard kun'yomi exists in modern Japanese dictionaries. Unlike most kanji, 爵 functions entirely within Sino-Japanese vocabulary (漢語, kango) and never appears in isolation with a native Japanese word form. In extremely rare historical texts, the reading さかずき (sakazuki, sake cup) occasionally surfaces, reflecting the character's original bronze-vessel meaning — but this is not a standard modern reading. For practical study, focus entirely on シャク.
Common Words & Compounds
爵 appears most often in the names of the five classical peerage ranks and in compounds describing how noble titles were conferred, held, and administered. These terms come up constantly in Meiji-era literature, historical fiction set in feudal Japan or medieval Europe, and academic writing on Japanese political history.
The Five Ranks of Japanese Peerage (五爵):
- 公爵 (kōshaku) — Duke, the highest of the five ranks, equivalent to European dukes and Chinese princes
- 侯爵 (kōshaku) — Marquis, the second rank; 公爵 and 侯爵 share the same reading and are distinguished only in writing
- 伯爵 (hakushaku) — Count or Earl, the middle rank
- 子爵 (shishaku) — Viscount, the fourth rank
- 男爵 (danshaku) — Baron, the lowest of the five ranks; 男爵いも (danshaku imo) is also a famous potato variety named after Baron Kawashima, who introduced it to Japan
Additional compounds:
- 爵位 (shakui) — peerage, the rank itself as a formal institution
- 爵号 (shakugō) — noble title, the specific designation of one's rank
- 叙爵 (joshaku) — conferral of peerage by the emperor or crown
- 封爵 (hōshaku) — enfeoffment: granting a title with accompanying land rights
- 王爵 (ōshaku) — royal title, the rank of a royal prince
- 貴族爵位 (kizoku shakui) — aristocratic peerage, the full range of noble titles within a formal system
- 華族令 (kazoku rei) — the Peerage Act of 1884, the Meiji ordinance that codified the five ranks
Example Sentences
彼は伯爵の称号を持っている。
Kare wa hakushaku no shōgō wo motte iru.
He holds the title of count.
明治時代には公爵から男爵まで五つの爵位があった。
Meiji jidai ni wa kōshaku kara danshaku made itsutsu no shakui ga atta.
During the Meiji era, there were five ranks of peerage from duke down to baron.
公爵と侯爵は書き方は違うが読み方は同じだ。
Kōshaku to kōshaku wa kakikata wa chigau ga yomikata wa onaji da.
Duke and marquis are written differently but read the same way.
その小説の主人公は男爵の家に生まれた。
Sono shōsetsu no shujinkō wa danshaku no ie ni umareta.
The protagonist of that novel was born into a baron's family.
爵位の制度は第二次世界大戦の後に廃止された。
Shakui no seido wa dainiji sekai taisen no ato ni haishi sareta.
The peerage system was abolished after the Second World War.
彼女の祖父は子爵に叙爵され、大きな邸宅を与えられた。
Kanojo no sofu wa shishaku ni joshaku sare, ōkina teitaku wo ataerareta.
Her grandfather was granted the rank of viscount and given a large estate.
その城はかつて侯爵の居城として知られていた。
Sono shiro wa katsute kōshaku no kyojō to shite shirarete ita.
That castle was once known as the residence of a marquis.
爵号を授かることは当時の武士にとって最大の名誉だった。
Shakugō wo sazukaru koto wa tōji no bushi ni totte saidai no meiyo datta.
Receiving a title of nobility was the greatest honor for a samurai of that era.
彼は公爵の爵位を継ぎ、一族の財産を管理することになった。
Kare wa kōshaku no shakui wo tsugi, ichizoku no zaisan wo kanri suru koto ni natta.
He succeeded to the rank of duke and came to manage the family's assets.
Memory Tip
Picture an ancient bronze wine cup held aloft by claw-like hands — that's the 爫 radical at the very top of 爵. In ancient China, these ritual cups (jué) were extraordinarily precious. Only the emperor could give them; only nobles of the highest standing could receive them. The cup was the rank. For the reading シャク (SHAKU), try the phrase "SHAKe hands with the duke" — a reminder that SHAKU governs all five ranks of Japanese aristocratic title. Seventeen strokes for seventeen generations of noble bloodline.