Details
Description
Wind - invisible yet powerful force of nature, symbolizing freedom and change.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of sail and insect. Wind represented by insects flying on the breeze.
Symbolism
Wind, style, manner. Represents Japanese aesthetics in 'elegance' and 'atmosphere'.
Spiritual Meaning
Represents movement of invisible spiritual power, natural force suggesting divine breath and presence of spirits.
Seasonal
Autumn wind September-November heralds seasonal change. Spring wind brings warmth, winter wind harshness.
Component Breakdown
Wind enclosure + insect
Words & Expressions
Words written with 風
Four-Character Compounds
花鳥風月
かちょうふうげつ
beauties of nature; the traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics; artistic pursuits involving nature themes
黒風白雨
こくふうはくう
sudden rain shower in a dust storm
疾風迅雷
しっぷうじんらい
with lightning speed
疾風怒濤
しっぷうどとう
storm and stress; Sturm und Drang
春風駘蕩
しゅんぷうたいとう
warm and genial spring weather; genial and balmy
醇風美俗
じゅんぷうびぞく
good morals and manners; genial manners and laudable customs; pristine way of life
順風満帆
じゅんぷうまんぱん
smooth sailing
馬耳東風
ばじとうふう
utter indifference; talking to the wall; praying to deaf ears
風紀紊乱
ふうきびんらん
corrupt public morals
良風美俗
りょうふうびぞく
good customs
威風堂々
いふうどうどう
majestic; commanding; imposing
談論風発
だんろんふうはつ
spirited discussion
風光明媚
ふうこうめいび
scenic; beautiful; picturesque
風林火山
ふうりんかざん
as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain
一路順風
いちろじゅんぷう
sailing before the wind; everything is going well
五風十雨
ごふうじゅうう
seasonable rains and winds; halcyon weather; halcyon times of peace
台風一過
たいふういっか
clear weather after a typhoon has passed
風俗壊乱
ふうぞくかいらん
corruption of public morals; an offense against public morality
風流三昧
ふうりゅうざんまい
taking delight in elegant pursuits; being absorbed in such elegant cultural pursuits as poetry, painting and calligraphy
人相風体
にんそうふうてい
someone's looks and personal appearance
一世風靡
いっせいふうび
ruling the times; holding sway over the minds of the people
威風凛々
いふうりんりん
awe-inspiring; majestic; commanding
櫛風沐雨
しっぷうもくう
struggling through wind and rain; undergoing hardships
櫛風浴雨
しっぷうよくう
struggling through wind and rain; undergoing hardships
秋風落莫
しゅうふうらくばく
forlorn and helpless; lonely and desolate
心象風景
しんしょうふうけい
imagined landscape; scenery in one's mind's eye
清風明月
せいふうめいげつ
refreshing breeze and the bright moon; a beautiful nocturnal scene with a full moon
千里同風
せんりどうふう
a country being in a state of universal peace; the world being peaceful and uneventful
風声鶴唳
ふうせいかくれい
getting frightened even by a slight noise; hearing the enemy in every leaf that rustles; being afraid of one's own shadow
風俗習慣
ふうぞくしゅうかん
manners and customs; customs and habits
風流韻事
ふうりゅういんじ
elegant appreciation of nature through artistic pursuits such as poetry, painting and calligraphy
没風流漢
ぼつふうりゅうかん
prosaic person; person of an unromantic turn of mind; philistine
光風霽月
こうふうせいげつ
serenity
迅雷風烈
じんらいふうれつ
violent thunder and fierce wind; rapidly changing situation; swift action
風餐露宿
ふうさんろしゅく
living in the harsh outdoors; roughing it in the wilderness; enduring a difficult journey
Proverbs & Idioms
風が吹けば桶屋が儲かる
かぜがふけばおけやがもうかる
When the wind blows, the bucket maker profits
Seemingly unrelated events can have unexpected connections
風前の灯火
ふうぜんのともしび
A candle in the wind
A precarious situation that could end at any moment
Poetry
天つ風 雲のかよひ路 吹きとぢよ をとめの姿 しばしとどめむ
Wind of heaven, blow shut the path through the clouds — I would keep these dancing maidens here a little longer.
吹くからに 秋の草木の しをるれば むべ山風を 嵐といふらむ
No sooner does it blow than the autumn grasses wither — no wonder they write the mountain wind as 'storm'.
山川に 風のかけたる しがらみは 流れもあへぬ 紅葉なりけり
The weir the wind has thrown across the mountain stream turns out to be maple leaves, unable to flow on.
白露に 風の吹きしく 秋の野は つらぬきとめぬ 玉ぞ散りける
Across the autumn field, where the wind keeps blowing on the white dew, unstrung jewels are scattering.
風をいたみ 岩うつ波の おのれのみ くだけて物を 思ふころかな
Like a wave driven hard by the wind, breaking itself against the rock, I alone am shattered by these thoughts.
ありま山 ゐなの笹原 風吹けば いでそよ人を 忘れやはする
When the wind blows through the bamboo grass of Ina, below Mount Arima — well then, could I ever forget you?
夕されば 門田の稲葉 おとづれて 葦のまろやに 秋風ぞ吹く
As evening comes it rustles the rice leaves by the gate — the autumn wind, blowing on my reed-thatched hut.
秋風に たなびく雲の たえ間より もれ出づる月の かげのさやけさ
Through a break in the clouds trailing on the autumn wind, the moonlight spills out, clear and cold.
み吉野の 山の秋風 さ夜ふけて ふるさと寒く 衣うつなり
Autumn wind off the mountains of Yoshino; the night deepens, the old village is cold, and someone is beating cloth.
風そよぐ ならの小川の 夕暮れは みそぎぞ夏の しるしなりける
At dusk by the Nara brook, where the wind stirs the oak leaves, only the purification rite shows that it is still summer.
Anime & Manga
風の谷のナウシカ
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Miyazaki's masterpiece. Protagonist flies using wind glider
鬼滅の刃
Demon Slayer
Sanemi Shinazugawa using 'Wind Breathing' is popular
風が強く吹いている
Run with the Wind
Drama about college students aiming for Hakone Ekiden
NARUTO -ナルト- 疾風伝
Naruto: Shippuden
A well-known work with 風 in its Japanese title.
ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 黄金の風
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
A well-known work with 風 in its Japanese title.
Games
ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド
Zelda: Breath of the Wild(2017)
Paraglider system riding the wind
View on Amazon →Related Figures & Stories
松尾芭蕉
(まつおばしょう)Master of haiku who pursued 'furyu'. Wrote many poems about wind
Author of 'Narrow Road to the Deep North'. Elevated haiku to art
小野道風
Name contains 風
Ono no Michikaze or Ono no Tōfū was a prominent shodōka during the Heian period .
Wikipedia谷風梶之助
Name contains 風
Tanikaze Kajinosuke was a Japanese sumo wrestler from the Edo period.
Wikipedia藤原興風
Name contains 風
Fujiwara no Okikaze was an early 10th Century middle Heian waka poet and Japanese nobleman.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Similar Kanji
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 風 mean in Japanese?
風 means wind, air, style, manner. Wind - invisible yet powerful force of nature, symbolizing freedom and change.
How do you read 風?
On'yomi: フウ、フ (FUU, FU). Kun'yomi: かぜ、かざ- (kaze, kaza).
How many strokes does 風 have?
風 has 9 strokes. Its radical is 風 (wind).
Is 風 a good kanji for a tattoo?
風 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means wind, air, style, manner. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.