艶 means “luster, gloss, allure”

つや · tsuya

Also: glossy, glaze, polish

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): つや, なまめかしい, あでやか, つやめく, なまめく
On'yomi (Chinese reading): エン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 19 strokes

The story

Abundant (豊) color (色): a surface rich and gleaming. 艶 is shine you can see, the kind shampoo ads promise your hair, while a 艶消し finish is matte; it is also allure, and 妖艶 is bewitching beauty.

Used in 艶 (tsuya, gloss/sheen), 艶消し (tsuyakeshi, matte finish), and 妖艶 (youen, bewitching beauty)

艶 means “luster, gloss, allure”

The story

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