Kanji Detail for 冴 - "to be clear"

冴

Jinmeiyō Kanji

JLPT N1

Meaning

冴 means "to be clear." Also associated with sharp, to freeze.
1. To be clear - To be lucid; to be chilled through.
2. Sharp - Keen; quick-minded.
3. To freeze - To be cold; to be chilly.
4. Cold - Freezing cold.
Tattoo check: 冴
- Verified meaning: to be clear
- Jinmeiyō kanji — officially approved for use in Japanese given names
- Used in real Japanese given names (read ご, さえ, さえる, さや)
- Also carries these associations: sharp, to freeze
A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.
Name readings of 冴

Given names 冴(さえ) 冴(さえる) 冴(さや)

Surnames 冴(ご)
Dictionary Citations

The meaning above is based on the following sources:

KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

be clear; serene; cold; skilful

Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

freezing; stopped up, closed off
Onyomi

go(ゴ)

ko(コ)
Kunyomi

hi.eru(ひ-える)

koo.ru(こお-る)

sa.eru(さ-える)
Strokes

7 strokes
Radical

冫 (nisui)
Related Keywords

to be clear sharp to freeze cold frigid clarity brilliant crisp pure refined serene lucid pristine distinct clever intelligent

私って冴えてる！
I'm smart.
気分が冴えないな。
I'm not feeling very well.
まだ気分が冴えないの？
Are you still not feeling well?
コーヒーを一杯飲むと頭が冴える。
I feel more alert after drinking a cup of coffee.
そのパフォーマンスは冴えないものでしたよ。
The performance was low-keyed.
昨日ゆっくり休んだ分、今日は頭が冴えている。
I feel smart today, to a degree that is in proportion to the amount of good rest I had yesterday.
なんだか目が冴えちゃって、眠れなくなっちゃった。
For some reason, I'm wide awake and can't fall asleep.
もう午前3時だけど、目が冴えて眠れる気がしない。
It's already 3 a.m., but I'm wide awake and couldn't fall asleep if I tried.
寝起きの冴えない頭でトムは必死に考えたが、何もいいアイデアは浮かばなかった。
With his sleep-ridden brain, Tom thought desperately, but couldn't come up with any good ideas.