What is the Kanji for "Color"?
If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Color", you've come to the right place!
The Japanese Kanji for "Color" is "色".
This kanji has 3 readings:
Its kunyomi reading is "Iro".
Its onyomi readings are "Shoku" and "Shiki".
kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.
If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:
The radical "勹" means "Wrap" . And The radical "巴" means "Swirling water" .
Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.
What does the kanji "色" mean in japanese?
"色" means "Color".
Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.
Here are some words that use this kanji:
茶色: "Brown". The Japanese noun '茶色 (ちゃいろ)' means 'brown'. This noun is used to describe the color that is a mixture of red, yellow, and black, often associated with coffee, chocolate, and earth tones. It can be used to describe the color of objects, clothing, hair, or skin. For example: Her hair is brown - (彼女の髪は茶色です). The table is brown - (そのテーブルは茶色です).
色: "Color". The noun '色 (いろ)' means 'color'. It refers to the visual perceptions of different wavelengths of light. Colors can be used to describe the appearance of objects, convey emotions, and have cultural associations. For example: I like the color red - (赤い色が好きです). What is your favorite color? - (どの色が一番好きですか?)
色々: "Various". The Japanese adjectival noun '色々 (いろいろ)' means 'various' or 'diverse'. It is used to describe a range or collection of different things. For example: There are various dishes to choose from - (色々な料理から選べます). He has various hobbies - (彼は色々な趣味を持っている).
緑色: "Green". The noun '緑色 (みどりいろ)' refers to the color green. It is used to describe the color of leaves, grass, or other natural elements. For example: The fresh, green grass - (生い茂った緑色の草). The dress has a beautiful green color - (そのドレスは美しい緑色をしている).
色んな: "Various" or "Many". The Japanese determiner '色んな (いろんな)' has two main meanings. The first meaning is 'various', indicating that there are multiple different types or kinds of something. The second meaning is 'many', indicating that there is a large quantity or number of something. This determiner is commonly used to describe nouns that have a wide range of diversity or a large amount. For example: I have various hobbies - (私は色んなホビーがあります). There are many books on the shelf - (本棚に色んな本がある).
金色: "Gold". The Japanese noun '金色 (きんいろ)' means 'gold'. This term refers to the color of the metallic element gold, which is a bright, shiny, and valuable material. It is often used to describe the appearance of objects that are colored in a bright yellow-orange hue similar to gold. For example: The medal was gold in color - (メダルは金色だった). Her hair shines with a golden glow - (彼女の髪は金色に輝いていた).
黄色: "Yellow". The noun '黄色 (きいろ)' refers to the color yellow. It is used to describe the hue of objects that are the same color as the sun, lemons, or daffodils. For example: The sun is yellow - (太陽は黄色い). I like the yellow flowers - (私は黄色い花が好きです).
顔色: "Complexion". The Japanese noun '顔色 (かおいろ)' refers to a person's facial complexion or skin tone. It is often used to describe someone's appearance and how they are feeling, as changes in complexion can indicate mood, health, or emotional state. For example: She looks pale, her complexion is not good - (彼女は顔色が悪そうだ). His complexion seems healthy - (彼の顔色は健康そうだ).
黄色い: "Yellow". The Japanese adjective '黄色い (きいろい)' means 'yellow'. This adjective is used to describe something that has the color of the sun or a ripe lemon. It can be used to describe objects, clothing, natural scenery, and more. For example: The sunflower is yellow - (ひまわりは黄色い). She wore a yellow dress - (彼女は黄色いドレスを着ていた).
景色: "Scenery". The noun 景色 (けしき) means 'scenery'. It refers to the natural or urban landscape that can be viewed from a particular vantage point. 景色 is often used to describe the surrounding environment that is visually perceivable, such as a mountain range, cityscape, or seaside view. For example: The scenery from the top of the mountain was breathtaking - (山頂の景色は息をのむようだった). I love admiring the scenery as I drive through the countryside - (田舎を運転しながら景色を楽しむのが好きです).
無色: "Colorless". The noun '無色 (むしょく)' means 'colorless'. This refers to something that lacks color or is transparent. It can be used to describe liquids, gases, or other substances that have no visible color. For example: The water is colorless - (水は無色だ). Colorless crystal - (無色の結晶)
ばら色: "Rose color". The noun '(ばらいろ)' means 'rose color'. This refers to a light pinkish-red color, like the color of rose petals. It is a delicate and romantic shade that is often associated with beauty, femininity, and tenderness. For example: Her cheeks had a lovely rose color - (彼女の頬はばら色でした).
水色: "Light blue". The Japanese noun '水色 (みずいろ)' refers to a pale, light blue color that resembles the color of water. It is a common color used in Japanese traditional designs and aesthetics. For example: The girl's dress was a beautiful light blue - (その女の子のドレスが水色でとてもきれいでした).
特色: "Feature". The noun '特色 (とくしょく)' refers to a distinctive or characteristic feature or quality of something. It can be used to describe the unique attributes or distinguishing aspects of an object, person, or situation. For example: The restaurant's special feature is its traditional Japanese decor - (その レストランの特色は伝統的な日本の装飾です). This tea has a distinctive flavor profile - (この茶は特色のある味わいです).
灰色: "Gray". The Japanese noun '灰色 (はいいろ)' refers to the color gray. This color is a neutral, achromatic color that is a blend of black and white. It is often associated with neutrality, formality, and calmness. The noun '灰色' can be used to describe the color of various objects, materials, or even a person's mood or disposition. For example: That car is painted in a dark gray color - (あの車は濃い灰色で塗られています). He was in a gray mood today - (彼は今日灰色の気分だった).
色彩: "Color". The noun '色彩 (しきさい)' refers to the different hues, shades, and tones that make up the visual appearance of something. It encompasses the full spectrum of colors that can be perceived by the human eye. This word is often used in the context of art, design, and the study of color theory. For example: The vibrant colors of the sunset - (夕日の色彩が鮮やか). The artist's use of color - (アーティストの色彩の使い方)
肌色: "Skin color". The noun '肌色 (はだいろ)' refers to the natural color of a person's skin. It can be used to describe the overall tone or hue of someone's complexion. The word is often used in the context of makeup, clothing, or art to indicate a specific shade that matches or complements a person's skin tone. For example: Her dress was the same color as her skin - (彼女のドレスは彼女の肌色と同じ色だった). I need to find the right foundation to match my skin color - (私の肌色に合うファンデーションを見つける必要がある).
To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.
But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.
Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.
This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:
The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "く" is read as "ku". The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". And The hiragana "ろ" is read as "ro".
Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.
For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).
For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).
For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.