Japanese Colours: Two Types
Japanese has two types of colour words: native Japanese colours that function as い-adjectives, and na-adjective/noun colour words. The four basic native colours (赤、青、白、黒) behave as い-adjectives; other colours use a の construction.
The Four Basic Colours (i-Adjective form)
| Colour | Japanese (adjective) | Japanese (noun) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | あかい | あか | あかいくつ (red shoes) |
| Blue | あおい | あお | あおいそら (blue sky) |
| White | しろい | しろ | しろいシャツ (white shirt) |
| Black | くろい | くろ | くろいかばん (black bag) |
Other Colours (noun + の form)
| Colour | Japanese | Before noun |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | きいろ | きいろいorきいろの (both used) |
| Green | みどり | みどりのでんしゃ (green train) |
| Orange | オレンジ | オレンジのシャツ |
| Purple | むらさき | むらさきのはな |
| Pink | ピンク | ピンクのくつ |
| Brown | ちゃいろ | ちゃいろのテーブル |
| Grey | グレー / はいいろ | グレーのスーツ |
| Gold | きん / ゴールド | きんのゆびわ (gold ring) |
| Silver | ぎん / シルバー | ぎんのとけい (silver watch) |
Cultural Note: あお (Blue/Green)
Historically, Japanese didn’t distinguish blue and green linguistically — both were あお. This is why traffic lights (緑/みどり) are often called あおしんごう (blue light), and vegetables are called あおもの (blue things). Modern Japanese does distinguish them, but the overlap remains in common expressions.
Quick Drill
- “A red car” = ?
- “The white shirt” = ?
- “A green bag” = ?
Answers: 1. あかいくるま / 2. しろいシャツ / 3. みどりのかばん
Yuka & Rei Shop for Colours
See how these words come alive in a real exchange between Yuka and Rei. Pay attention to how they explain — and occasionally correct — each other. That back-and-forth is exactly how language learning works.
YukaRei, I was trying to buy a blue bag in a Japanese shop but I couldn’t remember the word. I just pointed and looked confused!
ReiFor blue: あおいろ or just あお. In shops, you can say: あおいろのはありますか？ — ‘Do you have it in blue?’ Pointing is fine too, but knowing the colour word is much faster.
YukaI also get confused between あお and みどり. Aren’t they both sometimes called ‘blue’?
ReiGreat observation! Historically, Japanese used あお for both blue and green. Now みどり clearly means green, but あおしんごう (blue traffic light) is still called あお even though it’s technically green! Language has history.
YukaWhat about describing patterns? Like I want a striped scarf?
Reiしましま is stripes, みずたま (water drops) is polka dots, チェック is check/plaid. So: しましまのマフラーはありますか？ — ‘Do you have a striped scarf?’ These pattern words come up a lot in clothing shops.
5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud
Speak each sentence at least three times. Hearing your own voice say these words is the fastest route to natural recall.
- くろいコートとしろいシャツをかいました。
I bought a black coat and a white shirt. - あかいバラはとてもきれいですね。
Red roses are really beautiful, aren’t they? - きいろのかさをわすれてしまいました。
I forgot my yellow umbrella. - べつのいろはありますか？みどりがいいです。
Do you have other colours? I’d like green. - このへやはかべがしろくて、ひろくみえます。
This room has white walls and looks spacious.
Your Turn! Leave Your Sentence in the Comments
The best way to memorise vocabulary is to produce it yourself. Pick 2–3 words from this article and write your own sentences — about your daily life, your hometown, your work, anything.
Leave your sentences in the comments below. Other learners will read them, and you might inspire someone else’s learning journey. Log in to keep your comment history — our most active contributors appear in the Top Commenters ranking in the sidebar!
Keep Learning: Vocabulary Hub | Grammar | All Vocabulary Articles | JLPT Study Guide
📖 Want to take your Japanese further? Practice speaking with a professional Japanese tutor on italki — affordable 1-on-1 online lessons at your own pace.
Comments