粧 means “makeup, adorn”

しょう · shou

Also: cosmetics, adorn (one's person)

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 12 strokes

The story

Picture rice (米) ground into fine face powder beside 庄, a country house. 粧 lives in 化粧, makeup: 化粧室 is the polite word on restroom signs, and when the first snow dusts the mountains they wear 雪化粧.

Used in 化粧 (keshou, makeup), 化粧室 (keshoushitsu, restroom/powder room), and 雪化粧 (yukigeshou, a light covering of snow)

More from Grace & Beauty

• 佳 fine
• 麗 beautiful
• 粋 chic
• 醜 ugly
• 艶 luster
• 貌 appearance
• 態 attitude
• 姿 figure
• 華 splendor
• 妙 exquisite
• 柄 pattern
• 趣 taste

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

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