8.5. Colors


First of all, please note that the colors you see on your computer screen are highly dependent on your particular system. Different systems often display different colors. The color files used here are adjusted for my system.


8.5.1. Basic color names


There are six basic color names in Japanese. They are nouns, and they have corresponding adjectives and emphasized nouns. An adjective of a basic color is a combination of the color name and the adjective suffix (i) /i/ "i".

ColorHiraganaDescription
Hiragana:(si)(ro)
Phonemes:si'ro
Romanization:shiro
White.
The adjective is (si)(ro)(i) /si ro' i/ "shiroi". The emphasized name which means really white is (ma)(small tu)(si)(ro) /ma Q si' ro/ "masshiro".
Hiragana:(ku)(ro)
Phonemes:ku'ro
Romanization:kuro
Black.
The adjective is (ku)(ro)(i) /ku ro' i/ "kuroi". The emphasized name which means really black is (ma)(small tu)(ku)(ro) /ma Q ku' ro/ "makkuro".
Hiragana:(a)(ka)
Phonemes:a'ka
Romanization:aka
Red.
The adjective is (a)(ka)(i) /a ka i'/ "akai". The emphasized name which means really red is (ma)(small tu)(ka) /ma Q ka'/ "makka".
Hiragana:(a)(o)
Phonemes:a'o
Romanization:ao
Blue.
The adjective is (a)(o)(i) /a o' i/ "aoi". The emphasized name which means really blue is (ma)(small tu)(sa)(o) /ma Q sa' o/ "massao". Since green is not a basic color, the word (a)(o) is sometimes used for green, especially for green leaves and the green light of signals.
Hiragana:(ki)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:kiiro
Romanization:kiiro
Yellow.
The adjective is (ki)(i)(ro)(i) /ki i ro i'/ "kiiroi". The emphasized name which means really yellow is (ma)(small tu)(ki)(i)(ro) /ma Q ki' i ro/ "makkiiro".
Hiragana:(ti)(small ya)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:tyairo
Romanization:chairo
Brown.
The adjective is (ti)(small ya)(i)(ro)(i) /tya i ro i'/ "chairoi". The emphasized name which means really brown is (ma)(small tu)(ti)(small ya)(i)(ro) /ma Q tya' i ro/ "matchairo", but it is not often used.

It is interesting that brown seems more important than green in Japanese.

Emphasized color names are qualitative nouns. They do not necessarily mean pure colors. For instance, the face of an angry man is described as red in Japanese, like in English. If he is really angry, his face would be described by the word (ma)(small tu)(ka) /ma Q ka'/ "makka", which means really red. His face won't be pure red unless he is painted.


8.5.2. Important color names


A color which is not a basic one has only a noun. Use the copula to make a predicate. Most of color names have the suffix (i)(ro) /i ro'/ "iro", which means color. You can add it after a color name if it is not there.

ColorHiraganaDescription
Hiragana:(mi)(do)(ri)
Phonemes:mi'dori
Romanization:midori
Green.
Hiragana:(mu)(ra)(sa)(ki)
Phonemes:mura'saki
Romanization:murasaki
Purple.
Hiragana:(ha)(i)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:haiiro
Romanization:haiiro
Gray.
The word (ha)(i) /ha i/ "hai" means ash.
Hiragana:(mo)(mo)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:momoiro
Romanization:momoiro
Pink.
The word (mo)(mo) /mo mo/ "momo" means peach.
Hiragana:(da)(i)(da)(i)
Phonemes:daida'i
Romanization:daidai
Orange.
It is the name of a kind of orange, but it is not well known. The common name for Japanese oranges is (mi)(ka)(n) /mi' ka N/ "mikan". Western oranges are called (o)(re)(n)(zi) /o re' N zi/ "orenji" (an imported word).
Hiragana:(mi)(zu)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:mizuiro
Romanization:mizuiro
Light blue.
The word (mi)(zu) /mi zu/ "mizu" means water.


8.5.3. Additional color names


Color names shown here are not so common, but they should be understood by any native Japanese speaker. Japanese has hundreds of color names, but to my regret many of them are being lost, as Japanese traditions are being lost.

ColorHiraganaDescription
Hiragana:(sa)(ku)(ra)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:sakurairo
Romanization:sakurairo
Pale pink.
Hiragana:(a)(ka)(ne)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:akaneiro
Romanization:akaneiro
Crimson.
The word (a)(ka)(ne) /a ka ne/ "akane" means a kind of plant whose root is used to dye cloth.
Hiragana:(si)(small yu)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:syuiro
Romanization:shuiro
Vermilion.
Hiragana:(ya)(ma)(bu)(ki)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:yamabukiiro
Romanization:yamabukiiro
Orange yellow.
The word (ya)(ma)(bu)(ki) /ya ma' bu ki/ "yamabuki" means a kind of yellow flower.
Hiragana:(u)(gu)(i)(su)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:uguisuiro
Romanization:uguisuiro
Olive green.
The word (u)(gu)(i)(su) /u gu' i su/ "uguisu" means a kind of bird.
Hiragana:(ki)(mi)(do)(ri)
Phonemes:kimi'dori
Romanization:kimidori
Yellow green.
Hiragana:(hu)(ka)(mi)(do)(ri)
Phonemes:hukami'dori
Romanization:hukamidori
Deep green.
The prefix (hu)(ka) comes from the adjective (hu)(ka)(i) /hu ka' i/ "fukai", which means deep.
Hiragana:(a)(i)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:aiiro
Romanization:aiiro
Dark blue.
The word (a)(i) /a' i/ "ai" means Japanese indigo.
Hiragana:(gu)(n)(zi)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:guNzyou
Romanization:gunjoo
Ultramarine.
Hiragana:(ko)(n)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:koNiro
Romanization:koniro
Dark purplish blue.
Hiragana:(hu)(zi)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:huziiro
Romanization:fujiiro
Lavender.
Hiragana:(o)(u)(do)(i)(ro)
Phonemes:oudoiro
Romanization:oodoiro
Yellow ochre.
Hiragana:(ko)(ge)(ti)(small ya)
Phonemes:kogetya
Romanization:kogecha
Dark brown.


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Copyright(C) TAKASUGI Shinji (ts@sf.airnet.ne.jp)