How to say "portrait" in Japanese

• 画像がぞうCommon
  nounReally means an image or picture, such as a graphic or photo displayed on a screen; its 'portrait' sense is marginal, so it is seldom the word you want for a person's portrait.
  テレビの画像がぞうはぼやけて見みえた。↗

  The TV picture was blurred.
• 肖像しょうぞうCommon
  nounCovers 'portrait' as a formal likeness of a particular person, typically a painting; the word you want for a painted or otherwise serious portrait of an individual.
  この切手きってには誰だれの肖像しょうぞうが印刷いんさつしてありますか。↗

  Whose image is on this stamp?
• ポートレートCommon
  nounThe loanword, used above all for photographic portraits — pictures of people taken with a camera; the natural choice when your 'portrait' is a photograph rather than a painting or drawing.
  今日きょう、朝一あさいちでポートレートの予約よやくが入はいっているんだが・・・どうだ？試ためしにやってみるか？↗

  First thing today there's an appointment for a portrait ... what do you say? Will you try doing it as a test?
• 似顔にがおCommon
  nounCovers 'portrait' as a likeness of a person's face — a picture capturing what that person actually looks like; it suggests an informal, recognizable sketch of the face rather than a formal portrait.
• 似顔絵にがおえCommon
  nounA common word for a drawn portrait of a face: a sketch capturing someone's likeness, the kind a street artist might draw; the natural choice when your 'portrait' is a hand-drawn face picture.

Choose 肖像 for a formal portrait of a person, 「ポートレート」 for photographic portraits, 似顔絵 for a drawn face likeness, 似顔 for the face-likeness itself, and 画像 for images and pictures rather than portraits.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 画像がぞうimage
• 肖像しょうぞうportrait
• ポートレートportrait
• 似顔にがおportrait
• 似顔絵にがおえportrait
• 像ぞうimage
• 絵姿えすがたportrait
• 絵像えぞうportrait
• 肖像画しょうぞうがportrait
• 尊影せいえいportrait
• 姿絵すがたえportrait
• 照影しょうえいportrait
• 照映しょうえいportrait
• ポートレート写真ポートレートしゃしんportrait (photo)
• 似姿にすがたeffigy