妖 means “bewitching, supernatural, uncanny”

よう · you

Also: attractive, calamity

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あやしい, なまめく, わざわい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヨウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

Picture a woman (女) with her head tilted (夭), smiling a little too sweetly: something not quite human. 妖 is the bewitching and uncanny: 妖怪 are Japan's folklore monsters, from kappa to one-eyed hopping umbrellas, and a 妖精 is a fairy.

Used in 妖怪 (youkai, folklore monster), 妖精 (yousei, fairy), and 妖艶 (youen, bewitching beauty)

More from Ghosts & Demons

• 幽 secluded
• 呪 curse
• 冥 underworld
• 仙 hermit
• 霊 spirit
• 魔 demon
• 鬼 ogre
• 幻 illusion
• 怪 suspicious
• 魂 soul

Learn 妖 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.