Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

照しょう影えい

しょ

う

え

い

Meanings

1

noun

portrait; likeness

Rare, literary term for a portrait or painted likeness. In modern Japanese, 肖像画 (しょうぞうが) or ポートレート are far more common.

古ふるい文ぶん献けんに「照しょう影えい」という語ごが肖しょう像ぞうの意い味みで見みられる。
In old documents, the word 照影 appears with the meaning of portrait.

Kanji

照illuminate, shine, compare
影shadow, silhouette, phantom

Similar words

肖しょう像ぞう画が
Standard modern word for a painted portrait; 照影 is a rare literary synonym.
ポートレート
Common loanword for portrait, especially in photography; 照影 is an archaic Japanese term.

Etymology

Compound of 照 (しょう, 'to illuminate, reflect') and 影 (えい, 'shadow, image'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it appears to be a coined term for a reflected or depicted image.