Meaning
肖 means to resemble — a likeness, a copy, a face that echoes another face. Its most common appearance is in 肖像 (shōzō), meaning portrait: a painting, photograph, or sculpture that captures a real person's likeness. The kanji also anchors the humble self-deprecating expression 不肖 (fushō), literally not resembling one's parents, used in formal speech when a Japanese speaker refers to themselves as unworthy.
Structurally, 肖 pairs 小 (small) on top with the radical 月 on the bottom. That 月 is not the moon here. In this position it functions as an abbreviated form of 肉 (flesh, body) — the same にくづき radical found in 腕 (arm) and 脳 (brain). Together: a small body, a miniature version of a real person. That tiny likeness is the concept at the heart of this kanji — resemblance, a copy, a portrait.
Seven strokes, no elementary school grade. 肖 belongs to the secondary Jōyō kanji set, learned at high-school level and above. Rare in everyday conversation, it shows up consistently in formal, legal, and artistic writing — especially around 肖像権 (portrait rights), a term central to Japanese media law.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
ショウ (Shō) is the only on'yomi, and it covers virtually every important compound. Borrowed from Middle Chinese, this reading appears in artistic, legal, and formal literary contexts. Since 肖 almost always shows up in Chinese-derived compound nouns, ショウ is the reading to learn first.
- 肖像 (shōzō) — portrait, likeness; a representation of a specific real person
- 肖像画 (shōzōga) — portrait painting; an artistic painted likeness
- 肖像権 (shōzōken) — portrait rights; the legal right to control how one's own image is used
- 不肖 (fushō) — unworthy; a humble self-reference meaning "I, who do not resemble my parents in merit"
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi あやか（る） (ayaka-ru) carries a warmer feeling: to share in someone's good fortune, to take after an admirable person in a lucky way. You'll hear it at weddings, when congratulating lottery winners, or when someone wishes to follow in a respected person's footsteps. Less common than the ショウ compounds, but socially natural in the right moment.
- 肖る (ayakaru) — to share in someone's good luck; to take after an admired person
- 肖りたい (ayakaritai) — "I want some of that luck!" — said warmly toward newlyweds or anyone with good news
Common Words & Compounds
肖 clusters into three areas: art and portraiture, law and media, and humble formal speech. These three domains cover nearly every context where you'll encounter this kanji at N1 level.
Portrait & Art
- 肖像 (shōzō) — portrait, likeness; any representation that captures a specific person's appearance
- 肖像画 (shōzōga) — portrait painting; a painted depiction common in historical and royal contexts
- 肖像写真 (shōzō shashin) — portrait photograph; a formal photographic image of a person
- 肖像彫刻 (shōzō chōkoku) — portrait sculpture; a three-dimensional likeness such as a bust or statue
Legal & Rights
- 肖像権 (shōzōken) — portrait rights; every person's legal right to control how their image is used commercially or publicly
- 肖像権侵害 (shōzōken shingai) — violation of portrait rights; using someone's likeness without consent, especially in advertising or media
Humility & Formal Speech
- 不肖 (fushō) — unworthy; a humble self-reference, especially in relation to parents or a teacher
- 不肖ながら (fushō nagara) — though unworthy as I am; a formal phrase used before making a statement or request
- 不肖の息子 (fushō no musuko) — an unworthy son; often used self-deprecatingly about oneself
- 不肖の弟子 (fushō no deshi) — an unworthy student or disciple; someone who feels they haven't lived up to their teacher's lessons
Good Fortune & Resemblance
- 肖る (ayakaru) — to take after, to share in someone's good fortune; used when wishing to be as lucky as an admired person
Example Sentences
彼の肖像画が美術館に飾られている。
Kare no shōzōga ga bijutsukan ni kazararete iru.
His portrait hangs in the art museum.
有名人の肖像を無断で使用することは肖像権侵害になる。
Yūmeijin no shōzō wo mudan de shiyō suru koto wa shōzōken shingai ni naru.
Using a celebrity's likeness without permission is a violation of portrait rights.
不肖ながら、私がご説明させていただきます。
Fushō nagara, watashi ga go-setsumei sasete itadakimasu.
Though unworthy, I will humbly explain.
結婚おめでとうございます。ぜひ肖りたいです！
Kekkon omedetō gozaimasu. Zehi ayakaritai desu!
Congratulations on your wedding! I hope some of that good fortune comes my way!
彼女は亡くなった父の肖像を大切に保管していた。
Kanojo wa nakunatta chichi no shōzō wo taisetsu ni hokan shite ita.
She kept her late father's portrait with great care.
不肖の息子と言われないよう、毎日努力しています。
Fushō no musuko to iwarenai yō, mainichi doryoku shite imasu.
I push myself every day so no one will call me an unworthy son.
SNSに他人の肖像を無断で投稿することは法的に問題がある。
SNS ni tanin no shōzō wo mudan de tōkō suru koto wa hōteki ni mondai ga aru.
Posting someone else's image on social media without consent can bring legal trouble.
江戸時代の武将の肖像画が古い蔵から発見された。
Edo jidai no bushō no shōzōga ga furui kura kara hakken sareta.
A portrait of an Edo-period military commander turned up in an old storehouse.
あの有名な実業家に肖って、私も起業する決意を固めた。
Ano yūmei na jitsugyōka ni ayakatte, watashi mo kigyō suru ketsui wo katameta.
Inspired by that entrepreneur's success, I made up my mind to start my own business.
この美術展では、様々な時代の肖像画が展示されている。
Kono bijutsuten de wa, samazama na jidai no shōzōga ga tenji sarete iru.
This exhibition brings together portrait paintings from across the centuries.
Memory Tip
Two components: 小さい (small) on top, 体 (body, the 月 radical) on the bottom. A small body — picture a tiny figurine, a miniature painting of a real person. That miniature resembles the original. That's 肖: something small that looks just like the real thing.
For 不肖, picture someone bowing deeply: "I am not even a small likeness of my great parents." The 不 (not) negates the resemblance entirely. When a Japanese speaker uses 不肖 about themselves, they're performing the deepest kind of polite self-effacement — admitting they don't measure up to those who came before.