Colors in Japanese
Colors are among the first words you learn — and in Japanese they hide a surprise: only four are true adjectives, and the line between blue and green isn't where you'd expect.
The full chart with kanji, reading and rōmaji, the usage rules, and the bits of culture that actually matter.
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Chart of the colors in Japanese
| 日本語 | Kana | Rōmaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 赤 | あか | aka | red |
| 青 | あお | ao | blue |
| 白 | しろ | shiro | white |
| 黒 | くろ | kuro | black |
| 緑 | みどり | midori | green |
| 黄色 | きいろ | kiiro | yellow |
| 茶色 | ちゃいろ | chairo | brown |
| 紫 | むらさき | murasaki | purple |
| 水色 | みずいろ | mizuiro | light blue |
| 灰色 | はいいろ | haiiro | gray |
| ピンク | — | pinku | pink |
| オレンジ | — | orenji | orange |
| 金色 | きんいろ | kin’iro | gold |
| 銀色 | ぎんいろ | gin’iro | silver |
True adjectives and の colors
Only four colors are -i adjectives: 赤い akai, 青い aoi, 白い shiroi, 黒い kuroi (plus the derived 黄色い and 茶色い). These go straight before the noun: 赤い車 “a red car”. All the others connect with の: 緑のかばん, ピンクの花.
Examples
| 日本語 | Kana | Rōmaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 赤い車 | あかいくるま | akai kuruma | a red car |
| 空は青いです | そらはあおいです | sora wa aoi desu | The sky is blue |
| 緑のかばん | みどりのかばん | midori no kaban | a green bag |
| ピンクの花 | ピンクのはな | pinku no hana | a pink flower |
Why is “green” called ao?
Historically 青 ao covered both blue and green: that's why the green traffic light is 青信号 (ao shingō) and a green apple is 青りんご. 緑 midori entered common use later, for “botanical” green.
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Frequently asked questions
紫 murasaki, which also covers “violet”. It isn't an i-adjective, so it attaches to the noun with の: 紫の花 “a purple flower”. For “lilac” there's 藤色 fujiiro, “wisteria color”.
緑 midori. But the green traffic light, green apples and leafy vegetables use 青 ao, which historically covered both blue and green: 青信号, 青りんご, 青菜.
水色 mizuiro, “water color”. Blue is 青 ao.
赤 is the color's name (“red” as a noun), 赤い is the adjective: 赤が好き “I like red”, 赤い車 “a red car”.
They're English loanwords (pink, orange), hence katakana. Native equivalents exist, like 桃色 momoiro (“peach color”), but they're less common in daily life.
Yes: it's called 青信号 ao shingō. It's a historical leftover — 青 used to cover both blue and green.