著 — Notable, Write, Author

Meaning

著 has two core meanings that reinforce each other. First, it describes something notable, remarkable, or conspicuous — clearly visible and demanding attention. Second, it means to write or compose a literary work. The kanji also works as a noun for author or written work.

Structurally, 著 combines the grass radical 艹 (くさかんむり) on top with the character 者 (もの, person) below. Think of a plant rising conspicuously above a field — something that makes itself visible among ordinary growth. Just as a tall herb draws the eye, a remarkable deed or a published work stands out from the crowd. The two components map neatly onto both senses: visible prominence (remarkable) and the person who brings a work into the world (author).

著 has 11 strokes and is a grade 8 kanji — introduced at secondary school level in Japan. It appears regularly in formal writing, academic texts, journalism, and legal documents, especially in discussions of intellectual authorship and copyright. For anyone reading serious Japanese non-fiction or newspaper editorials, this kanji comes up constantly.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The on'yomi チョ comes from the classical Chinese pronunciation and dominates modern usage. Almost every compound involving authorship, publication, or eminence uses this reading. Whenever 著 pairs with another kanji to form a Sino-Japanese noun or adjective, チョ is the reading to expect.

• 著名ちょめい (chomei) — famous, well-known, renowned
• 著者ちょしゃ (chosha) — author, writer of a work
• 著作ちょさく (chosaku) — literary work, writings, composition
• 著作権ちょさくけん (chosakuken) — copyright
• 顕著けんちょ (kencho) — remarkable, prominent, outstanding

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The adjective いちじるしい describes something strikingly obvious — conspicuous, significant, a clear departure from the norm. The verb あらわす means to write or compose a book. One caution: it shares this reading with the homophones 表すあらわす (to express) and 現すあらわす (to reveal), so context determines which kanji applies.

• 著しいいちじるしい (ichijirushii) — remarkable, conspicuous, striking
• 著しくいちじるしく (ichijirushiku) — remarkably, conspicuously (adverb form)
• 著すあらわす (arawasu) — to write (a book), to compose and publish a work

Common Words & Compounds

著 appears across literature, law, and academia. Key compounds, grouped by theme:

Authorship & Publication

• 著者ちょしゃ (chosha) — author, writer of a specific work
• 著作ちょさく (chosaku) — a written work, literary composition
• 著作権ちょさくけん (chosakuken) — copyright, intellectual property right
• 著作物ちょさくぶつ (chosakubutsu) — copyrighted work, creative work
• 著書ちょしょ (chosho) — one's own book or literary work
• 著述ちょじゅつ (chojutsu) — writing, authorship, literary composition
• 共著きょうちょ (kyocho) — co-authorship, jointly written work
• 原著げんちょ (gencho) — original work (as opposed to a translation)
• 名著めいちょ (meicho) — famous literary work, masterpiece

Fame & Prominence

• 著名ちょめい (chomei) — famous, well-known, distinguished
• 顕著けんちょ (kencho) — remarkable, conspicuous, evident
• 著名人ちょめいじん (chomeijin) — celebrity, prominent person, notable figure

Example Sentences

Memory Tip

Picture a person (者) standing in a field of grass (艹), rising so far above the surrounding plants that no one can miss them. That towering figure also wrote a great book — their words, like their height, make them conspicuous and notable. The grass at the top of 著 evokes rising above the ordinary; the person below is the author who made it happen. Think: "A person who rises above — remarkable, and remembered for what they wrote."

For Vietnamese learners: trứ danh (trứ = 著) means "renowned." The Hán-Việt reading TRỨ makes 著名 easy to anchor — you already know the word.