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How to say 'White' in Japanese | 白

Wondering how to say 'White' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for White is 'Shira', written as 白 in Japanese.'White' in hiragana is しら.

    word

    Meaning

    White

    Reading

    しら

    shira

    Kanji

    White

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '白 (しら)' means 'white'. It refers to the color white and is used to describe objects, surfaces, or anything that is white in color. This word can also be used metaphorically to describe purity or innocence. For example: the snow is white「雪は白い」(ゆきはしろい). She wore a white dress「彼女は白いドレスを着ていた」(かのじょはしろいドレスをきていた). Note that '白' can also be part of compound words, such as '白紙 (はくし)' (blank paper) or '白鳥 (はくちょう)' (swan).

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N5

    Kanji Grade

    1

    Frequency

    1371

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    White

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 11 Words contain the Kanji 白 as well.

  • word

    面白い

    Meaning

    Interesting, Funny

  • word

    白い

    Meaning

    White

  • word

    真っ白

    Meaning

    Pure white

  • word

    青白い

    Meaning

    Pale

  • word

    告白

    Meaning

    Confession

  • word

    白髪

    Meaning

    Gray hair

  • word

    白人

    Meaning

    White person

  • word

    明白

    Meaning

    Clear, Obvious

  • word

    白菜

    Meaning

    Napa cabbage

  • word

    白紙

    Meaning

    Blank paper

  • word

    白線

    Meaning

    White line

Learn the Word

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Shira' (白) mean?

'Shira' means 'White' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.