爽 means “refreshing, fresh”

さわやか · sawayaka

Also: bracing, resonant, sweet

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あきらか, さわやか, たがう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

A big figure (大) with four little crosses (乂) under its arms: picture someone standing arms out while a breeze blows straight through. 爽やか is fresh and clear, an autumn sky or a clean-cut smile, and 爽快 is the bracing feeling after a cold shower.

Used in 爽やか (sawayaka, refreshing), 爽快 (soukai, exhilarating), and 颯爽 (sassou, dashing)

More from Joy & Sorrow

• 憬 yearning
• 鬱 gloom
• 歓 delight
• 慰 console
• 悔 regret
• 奮 stir up
• 嘆 lament
• 憂 anxiety
• 惜 a pity
• 憾 regret
• 哀 sorrow
• 悦 joy

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

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