- Blue: 青, ao → 青い, aoi
- Red: 赤, aka → 赤い, akai
- Black: 黒, kuro → 黒い, kuroi
- White: 白, shiro → 白い, shiroi
- Blue: 青, ao → 青い, aoi.
- Red: 赤, aka → 赤い, akai.
- Black: 黒, kuro → 黒い, kuroi.
- White: 白, shiro → 白い, shiroi.
What are the different types of Japanese words for color?
しろい. shiroi. white. くろい. kuroi. black. The word for "color" is いろ (iro), which you can see embedded in kiiroi (yellow). Actually, even kiiroi could be considered less basic than the other four, since it requires the kanji for "yellow color" (黄色い) rather than just one kanji (赤い、青い、白い、黒い).
What are some examples of しょく in Japanese?
So for example: 一色, 二色, 配色, 原色, 天然色. When combined with kanji that function as color adjectives on their own, such as 白い, the reading tends to be しょく. For example: 白色, 黒色. To see comprehensive lists of words that use each reading, use our kanji reading search tool: In Japanese, the color 青い is usually translated 'blue' and 緑 as 'green'.
What is the kanji for “Green”?
The kanji for aoi was imported to Japan from ancient China at a time when the two colours were covered by one character. As a result, Japanese people sometimes use “ao” in places where English speakers would use “green”. 森は あおです。 Mori wa ao desu. The forest is green.
What is the kanji for “AO” in Japanese?
The kanji for aoi was imported to Japan from ancient China at a time when the two colours were covered by one character. As a result, Japanese people sometimes use “ao” in places where English speakers would use “green”. 森は あおです。

How do you spell colors in Japanese?
0:070:54How to Say Colors in Japanese - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipToday I'm going to teach you how to say some of my favorite colors in Japanese. Blue is out.MoreToday I'm going to teach you how to say some of my favorite colors in Japanese. Blue is out.
How do you write red in kanji?
Happily, gairaigo invaders have not exterminated their color-kanji counterparts: Singletons such as 赤 (aka, red), 青 (ao, blue; green), 白 (shiro, white), 黒 (kuro, black), 緑 (midori, green), and 紫 (murasaki, purple) are alive and well in written Japanese.
How do you write colors in hiragana?
Japanese words for colors are predominantly no-adjectives, in contrast other basic adjectives, which are primarily i-adjectives and na-adjectives....Primary Colors.HiraganaRomajiEnglishあおaoblue/greenきいろkiiroyelowしろshirowhiteくろkuroblack1 more row
How do you conjugate colors in Japanese?
Colors in Japanese – noun form and adjective formRed: 赤い(あかい) / 赤(あか)Green: N/A / 緑(みどり)Blue: 青い(あおい) / 青(あお)Yellow: 黄色い(きいろい)/ 黄色(きいろ)Grey: N/A / 灰色(はいいろ)Orange: N/A / オレンジWhite: 白い(しろい) / 白(しろ)Black: 黒い(くろい) / 黒(くろ)More items...•
How do you write black in kanji?
Kun reading compounds黒 【くろ】 black, black go stone, guilt, guilty person.黒い 【くろい】 black, dark, blackish, sun-tanned (skin), suspicious, criminal, illicit, darkened and dirty, sooty, covered in dirt, evil, wicked, black-hearted, inauspicious, ill-boding, unlucky.黒ずむ 【くろずむ】 to blacken, to darken.More items...
What is the kanji for blue?
青JapaneseShinjitai青Kyūjitai靑
Is blue ao or AOI?
Common words that use “Ao” 青 but are actually blue The character (青) ao , represents light colors and is used in many different Japanese words. Here are some words in which you will use 青 : 青空 Aozora – Blue Skies.
Is Aoi blue or green?
The Japanese word ao (青, n., aoi (青い, adj.)), the same kanji character as the Chinese qīng, can refer to either blue or green depending on the situation.
What are the names of 5 colors in Japanese?
It is because only four colors existed as the basic forms of color in the ancient Japanese language — or, at least, acknowledged: 白 shiro (white), 黒 kuro (black), 赤 aka (red) and 青 ao (blue).
How do you write red in hiragana?
Terms in this set (11)あか red.きいろ yellow.しろ white.くろ black.むらさき purple.あお blue.みどり green.はいいろ grey.More items...
Which Colour is best for Japan?
The color red is associated strongly with authority, strength, sacrifice, joy, and happiness. It is regarded as an auspicious color in Japan, especially when paired with white (also used on the national flag).
What does Kise mean in Japanese?
incur, cover, veil, brood over, shelter, wear, put on, be exposed (film), receiving.
What does red mean in Japanese?
Red in Japanese (Aka) Red is said to scare away evil spirits and represent protection, strength, peace, and power. The sun on the Japanese flag is red, Shinto priests often wear at least some red, and Japanese festivals are often marked by their red decor and red and white curtains.
What is the kanji for blood?
血血 means 'blood'
Why is the kanji for red baby?
This word consist of 빨가/빨개 + 벗은. 빨가 or 빨개 means 'red'(;original word is 빨간(adjective) or 빨갛게(:adverb)), and 벗은 means 'take off clothes'. In formal word, it is '벌거벗은', and 벌거 has same meaning with 빨가/빨개. We Koreans use it to any person in any age band.
What is the kanji for Rose?
薔薇薔薇 (bara, shōbi, sōbi): a rose....Etymology 1.Kanji in this termHyōgaijiHyōgaijijukujikun2 more rows
What are the primary colors in Japanese?
The primary colors in Japanese are all i-adjectives, which agrees with the idea that i-adjectives tend to represent more basic concepts than na-adjectives. Hiragana. Romaji. English. あかい. akai. red. あおい. aoi.
What is the color of kiiroi?
The word for "color" is いろ (iro), which you can see embedded in kiiroi (yellow). Actually, even kiiroi could be considered less basic than the other four, since it requires the kanji for "yellow color" (黄色い) rather than just one kanji (赤い、青い、白い、黒い). We'll discuss aoi (blue/green) more in a moment.
Why are colors arbitrary?
This is because words for colors are inherently arbitrary, since there are an unlimited number of ways to break up spectrum of red to violet, not to mention differences in brightness and saturation. It should come as no surprise, then, that languages also vary in how they name colors, even very basic colors.
What does Ao mean in Japanese?
Although it seems strange to westerners, ao (or aoi) can mean either "blue" or "green" in Japanese. Actually, it refers to this entire spectrum, and our blue, teal, and green would all be considered shades of ao. So occasionally in places where English speakers would use "green", Japanese people would instead use ao.
Is the Japanese traffic light green?
green light (traffic signal) Fun fact: Japanese traffic lights are indeed somewhat bluish compared to those in North America. Japanese people also consider the ocean to be ao, which makes sense considering that seawater is just as green up close as it is blue from a distance.
Is the ball red or red?
The ball is red. Other color words are normal no-adjectives, so these five are really the exception rather than the rule. Fortunately, the rule itself is without exception: when using primary colors to modify a noun, use the i-adjective form; otherwise, use the no-adjective form.
What does the color blue symbolize in Japan?
In Japan, what does the color blue symbolize? As well as coolness and passivity, blue also conveys fidelity. Japanese clothing is popular in this color. University students wear ‘recruitment suits in blue’ for job interviews, whereas office workers wear different shades of blue. In addition to blue, the other lucky colors in Japan are yellow, white, purple, green, and red.
What is a bad color in Japan?
The black belt in Judo and Karate represents a powerful and tough image. Japanese often describe evil people as having a “black heart” (the same as the West). Black is a color associated with mourning, especially when worn alone. As black-tie events have gained popularity in Western cultures, formality has also become a part of it.
What is the difference between katakana and hiragana?
When learning Japanese, it is important that you master hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana is used to represent sounds, while Katakanas are used for words borrowed from other languages or...
How many wire scripts are there in Japanese?
There are millions of users of the Japanese language around the world. As a matter of fact, today we have two commonly used wire scripts in Japanese, hiragana and katakana. You cannot avoid learning...
Is Rocket Japanese good?
Rocket Japanese is a great way to learn Japanese quickly We're free, and easy to use! You can learn Japanese in your spare time - there's no need for extra commitments Learn with our fun and engaging lessons. Read my Full review here
Wherever you see the green star, can you tag any kanji, word or grammar point for future reference?
Wherever you see the green star, you can tag any kanji, word or grammar point for future reference in your Favorites list , which is accessible from the main menu. You can automatically create flashcards from your Favorites, or use Quick Study to study them any time.
What color are Japanese traffic lights?
In Japanese, the color 青い is usually translated 'blue' and 緑 as 'green'. However, the 'blue' color of 青い includes the blue-green color of traffic lights, and 緑 is usually reserved for brighter greens such as emerald. Partly as a result of this, Japan traffic lights are considered to be 赤黄青 (red, yellow, blue-green) - not 'red, orange, green' (for more on Japanese traffic lights, see the link below).
Is kanji a noun or adjective?
Some colors are irregular - the kanji is used to make the noun form, and the noun form is turned into an adjective using の:
Japanese Color Names as Nouns and Adjectives: Grammar Usage
All the colors above are nouns, but blue, red, black, and white can become adjectives by adding い ( i) to the end.
Words Related to Colors
There are some other words related to colors you might want to learn about too.
Meaning of Colors in Japanese Culture
The four main traditional colors of Japan are red, white, black, and blue. In fact, a long time ago, all colors fell into those four categories.
All about COLORS in Japanese!
Colors says IRODORI in Japanese. It’s a beatiful kanji symbol and very popular for names of girls and shops.
Free download
You can download the kanji data with transparent PNG format. Each letter is made in 1000px X 1000px. Available for any purposes and no link or credit is needed. Feel free to take it!

Language and Color
Primary Colors
- The primary colors in Japanese are all i-adjectives, which agrees with the idea that i-adjectives tend to represent more basic concepts than na-adjectives. The word for "color" is いろ (iro), which you can see embedded in kiiroi(yellow). Actually, even kiiroi could be considered less basic than the other four, since it requires the kanji for "yellow ...
Blue and Green
- Although it seems strange to westerners, ao (or aoi) can mean either "blue" or "green" in Japanese. Actually, it refers to this entire spectrum, and our blue, teal, and green would all be considered shades of ao. So occasionally in places where English speakers would use "green", Japanese people would instead use ao. Fun fact: Japanese traffic lights are indeed somewhat bl…
Other Basic Colors
- The remaining colors are all no-adjectives(nouns) and have no further complications. Here are the ones you will want to memorize. Again, the irofound in many of these words is the root word for "color". All of these words require the particle no to be used as modifiers, and use the copulato predicate a sentence. To ask "what color" something is, you can use the question word nani-iro. …