Colours in Japanese: Adjective and Noun Forms
The Japanese colour words, which ones are い-adjectives and which need の, and cultural notes such as the blue-green overlap.
Japanese colour words come in two types: some behave as adjectives, and others as nouns. Knowing which is which saves you from mistakes.
Colours with い-adjective forms
| Colour | Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| red | 赤 (あか, aka) | 赤い (akai) |
| blue | 青 (あお, ao) | 青い (aoi) |
| yellow | 黄色 (きいろ, kiiro) | 黄色い (kiiroi) |
| white | 白 (しろ, shiro) | 白い (shiroi) |
| black | 黒 (くろ, kuro) | 黒い (kuroi) |
| brown | 茶色 (ちゃいろ, chairo) | 茶色い (chairoi) |
Examples:
- 赤い車 — a red car
- 青い空 — a blue sky
- 白い花 — a white flower
Colours that need の
Other colours are used only as nouns, so they need の before another noun:
| Colour | Japanese |
|---|---|
| green | 緑 (みどり, midori) |
| purple | 紫 (むらさき, murasaki) |
| pink | ピンク (pinku) |
| orange | オレンジ (orenji), だいだい色 |
| grey | 灰色 (はいいろ, haiiro), グレー |
| gold | 金色 (きんいろ) |
| silver | 銀色 (ぎんいろ) |
Examples:
- 緑のシャツ — a green shirt
- ピンクの花 — a pink flower
- 紫のかばん — a purple bag
Blue and green
Traditionally, Japanese used 青 (ao) for some things English calls green: 青信号 (aoshingō) is a green traffic light, and 青りんご is a green apple. Modern Japanese has 緑 for green, but these older uses remain in fixed expressions.
Colour and culture
- 白 (white) is associated with purity and also with funerals.
- 赤 (red) is a lucky colour, used in festivals and shrine gates.
- 黒 (black) is worn at funerals and formal occasions.
Useful sentences
- 好きな色は何ですか。 — What is your favourite colour?
- 青が好きです。 — I like blue.
- これは何色ですか。 — What colour is this?
色 (いろ, iro) means "colour".
Tips
- Learn six colours with -い forms first.
- Remember の for green, purple and pink.
- Use the dictionary to check forms.
English Japanese Dictionary
Offline English–Japanese dictionary with kanji, hiragana and katakana support
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