Meaning
兆 carries two meanings that have lived side by side in the language for centuries. On the most concrete level, 兆 is the Japanese word for trillion — specifically, one trillion (1,000,000,000,000), or 10 to the 12th power. In everyday finance, economics, or statistics, you will regularly encounter phrases like 数兆円, meaning "several trillion yen." This numerical sense makes 兆 essential for anyone reading Japanese news, business reports, or government documents.
The second meaning is richer in imagery: 兆 as a sign, omen, or portent — a subtle hint that something is about to happen. This sense captures the moment just before change becomes visible: the first crack in ice before spring, the low rumble before thunder, the restless behavior of animals before an earthquake. It lives on in the kun'yomi reading kizashi (兆し) — a word for an emerging sign or harbinger.
Etymologically, 兆 is believed to be a pictograph of the cracks that appear on a turtle shell when heated during ancient divination rituals. Oracle bone divination was central to early Chinese culture, and priests read these crack patterns as messages from ancestors or spirits. From this ritual origin, the kanji acquired its meaning of "omen" or "sign." The connection to trillion likely evolved from the idea of the vast and uncountable — divination cracks branch into patterns that seem to multiply without end.
兆 is written with 6 strokes and is taught in grade 4 of Japanese elementary school. Its radical is 儿 (にんにょう), the "legs" radical visible at the base of the character.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading of 兆 is チョウ (chō). This reading appears in most compound words (熟語), especially in financial, scientific, and formal vocabulary. It sits in the Sino-Japanese register, which tends toward a formal or literary tone. Below are key compound words using this reading:
- 兆候 (chōkō) — sign, symptom, indication (e.g., of illness or social change)
- 前兆 (zenchō) — forewarning, harbinger, precursor
- 一兆 (ichi chō) — one trillion
- 徴兆 (chōchō) — sign, portent (literary/classical usage)
- 兆民 (chōmin) — the masses, all the people (archaic/literary)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings of 兆 are きざ.す (kizasu) and きざ.し (kizashi). These native Japanese readings convey something emerging, beginning to show, or offering subtle hints. Kizasu is a verb meaning "to show signs of" or "to sprout," while kizashi is a noun meaning "sign," "omen," or "indication." Both appear most often in literary contexts, evoking the first faint hints of seasonal change, emotional shifts, or coming events.
- 兆す (kizasu) — to show signs of, to begin to appear, to sprout
- 兆し (kizashi) — a sign, omen, indication, harbinger
- 春の兆し (haru no kizashi) — signs of spring
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 兆 appears across a range of important vocabulary, from scientific and economic terminology to poetic expressions.
Numerical / Scientific:
- 一兆 (ichi chō) — one trillion
- 数兆 (sūchō) — several trillion
- 兆バイト (chō baito) — terabyte (one trillion bytes)
Signs & Omens:
- 兆候 (chōkō) — sign, symptom, indication
- 前兆 (zenchō) — forewarning, precursor, omen
- 不吉な兆し (fukitsu na kizashi) — an ominous sign, ill omen
- 回復の兆し (kaifuku no kizashi) — signs of recovery
- 好転の兆し (kōten no kizashi) — signs of improvement/upturn
Natural & Seasonal:
- 春の兆し (haru no kizashi) — signs of spring
- 嵐の前兆 (arashi no zenchō) — the forewarning of a storm
Medical / Health:
- 病気の兆候 (byōki no chōkō) — symptoms of illness
- 老化の兆候 (rōka no chōkō) — signs of aging
Example Sentences
日本の国家予算は百兆円を超えた。
Nihon no kokka yosan wa hyaku chō en wo koeta.
Japan's national budget has exceeded one hundred trillion yen.
春の兆しが感じられる。
Haru no kizashi ga kanjiraeru.
Signs of spring can be felt.
経済回復の兆候が現れ始めた。
Keizai kaifuku no chōkō ga araware hajimeta.
Signs of economic recovery have begun to appear.
地震の前兆として動物が騒ぎ出した。
Jishin no zenchō toshite dōbutsu ga sawagi dashita.
As a forewarning of the earthquake, the animals began to stir restlessly.
日本の財政赤字は今年も三十兆円を超えた。
Nihon no zaisei akaji wa kotoshi mo sanjū chō en wo koeta.
Japan's fiscal deficit exceeded thirty trillion yen again this year.
病気の兆候に気づいたら、すぐに医者に行ってください。
Byōki no chōkō ni kidzuitara, sugu ni isha ni itte kudasai.
If you notice any symptoms of illness, please see a doctor right away.
夜明けの光が新しい時代の兆しのように思えた。
Yoake no hikari ga atarashii jidai no kizashi no yō ni omoeta.
The light of dawn seemed like a sign of a new era.
この会社の売上は年間一兆円を超えることを目標としている。
Kono kaisha no uriage wa nenkan ichi chō en wo koeru koto wo mokuhyō toshite iru.
This company aims to exceed one trillion yen in annual sales.
嵐の前兆として空が暗くなってきた。
Arashi no zenchō toshite sora ga kuraku natte kita.
As a forewarning of the storm, the sky began to darken.
Memory Tip
Picture an ancient Chinese diviner heating a turtle shell over a fire. As the shell grows hot, cracks branch outward — tiny fractures spreading in all directions. Each crack carries a message from the spirits: a sign, an omen. The shell splinters into so many pieces that counting them feels impossible — surely a trillion fragments. One image, two meanings: the mystical omen and the astronomical number. When you see 兆, remember the cracking shell and the endless fractures it produces.