8.1. Colors


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

8.1.1. 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/.

ColorHiraganaDescription
(si)(ro)
si'ro
 White.
The adjective is (si)(ro)(i) /siro'i/. The emphasized name which means really white is (ma)(small tu)(si)(ro) /maQsi'ro/.
(ku)(ro)
ku'ro
 Black.
The adjective is (ku)(ro)(i) /kuro'i/. The emphasized name which means really black is (ma)(small tu)(ku)(ro) /maQku'ro/.
(a)(ka)
a'ka
 Red.
The adjective is (a)(ka)(i) /akai'/. The emphasized name which means really red is (ma)(small tu)(ka) /maQka'/.
(a)(o)
a'o
 Blue.
The adjective is (a)(o)(i) /ao'i/. The emphasized name which means really blue is (ma)(small tu)(sa)(o) /maQsa'o/. 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.
(ki)(i)(ro)
kiiro
 Yellow.
The adjective is (ki)(i)(ro)(i) /kiiroi'/. The emphasized name which means really yellow is (ma)(small tu)(ki)(i)(ro) /maQki'iro/.
(ti)(small ya)(i)(ro)
tyairo
 Brown.
The adjective is (ti)(small ya)(i)(ro)(i) /tyairoi'/. The emphasized name which means really brown is (ma)(small tu)(ti)(small ya)(i)(ro) /maQtya'iro/, 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 a man who is angry 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) /maQka'/, which means really red. His face won't be pure red unless he is painted.

8.1.2. 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) /iro'/, which means color. You can add it after a color name if it is not there.

ColorHiraganaDescription
(mi)(do)(ri)
mi'dori
 Green.
(mu)(ra)(sa)(ki)
mura'saki
 Purple.
(ha)(i)(i)(ro)
haiiro
 Gray.
The word (ha)(i) /hai/ means ash.
(mo)(mo)(i)(ro)
momoiro
 Pink.
The word (mo)(mo) /momo/ means peach.
(da)(i)(da)(i)
daida'i
 Orange.
It is the name of a kind of orange, but the fruit is not well known. The common name for oranges is (mi)(ka)(n) /mi'kaN/.
(mi)(zu)(i)(ro)
mizuiro
 Light blue.
The word (mi)(zu) /mizu/ means water.

8.1.3. 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
(sa)(ku)(ra)(i)(ro)
sakurairo
 Pale pink.
(a)(ka)(ne)(i)(ro)
akaneiro
 Crimson.
The word (a)(ka)(ne) /akane/ means a kind of plant whose root is used to dye cloth.
(si)(small yu)(i)(ro)
syuiro
 Vermilion.
(ya)(ma)(bu)(ki)(i)(ro)
yamabukiiro
 Orange yellow.
The word (ya)(ma)(bu)(ki) /yama'buki/ means a kind of yellow flower.
(u)(gu)(i)(su)(i)(ro)
uguisuiro
 Olive green.
The word (u)(gu)(i)(su) /ugu'isu/ means a kind of bird.
(ki)(mi)(do)(ri)
kimi'dori
 Yellow green.
(hu)(ka)(mi)(do)(ri)
hukami'dori
 Deep green.
(a)(i)(i)(ro)
aiiro
 Dark blue.
(gu)(n)(zi)(small yo)(u)
guNzyou
 Ultramarine.
(ko)(n)(i)(ro)
koNiro
 Dark purplish blue.
(hu)(zi)(i)(ro)
huziiro
 Lavender.
(o)(u)(do)(i)(ro)
oudoiro
 Yellow ochre.
(ko)(ge)(ti)(small ya)
kogetya
 Dark brown.


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