In Japanese, color words can take the form of either adjectives or nouns. Some colors have only one form (the noun form), but others have both. A red sun (akai hi-red sun) appears on the Japanese flag. A Japanese set of words has two sets of katakana, one of which has the English words, so they are both a katakana version of each other. I always find it fascinating to figure out how different cultures perceive different colors. There is a difference between the parts of speech associated with specific colors in Japanese. As blue as buru.
Take a look at Japanese words for colors.
Japanese adjectives ending with “i – い” describe the primary colors. Despite this, there are some rules to avoiding the “i” when writing colors. The following are the primary colors:
| Hiragana | Kanji | Rōmaji | Meaning |
| あかい | 赤い | akai | Red |
| あおい | 青い | aoi | Blue green |
| きいろい | 黄色い | kiiroi | Yellow |
| しろい | 白い | shiroi | White |
| くろい | 黒い | kuroi | black |
Yellow uses kanji kiiroi-黄色い*, which means color, whereas the other colors do not. The meaning of your statement would be: Yellow color, instead of yellow.
Basic Color Nouns in Japanese
There are various colors described by these nouns. Because of this, we use the particle “の(no)” when we describe the color of something. Take a look at our particle page if you don’t know what particles in Japanese mean
1. 青 （あお）(ao) = blue
2. 赤い（あか）(aka) = red
3. 黄色（きいろ）(kiiro) = yellow
4. 紫（むらさき）(murasaki) = purple
5. 緑色（みどり）(midori) = green
6. 茶色（ちゃいろ）(chairo) = brown
7. 黒（くろ）(kuro) = black
8. 白（しろ）(shiro) = white
9. グレー (gure) or 灰色（はいいろ）(haiiro) = gray
10. ピンク (pinku) = pink
11. 桃色（ももいろ）(momoiro) = Peach
12. ベージュ (beju) = flesh color
13. ゴールド (gorudo) = gold color
14. オレンジ (orenji) = orange
15. 水色（みずいろ）(mizuiro) = light blue
16. 黄緑（きみどり）(kimiiro) = light green
These different forms need to be distinguished because their usage and meaning are different. A noun form, for instance, can be modified simply by placing a * in between itself and the noun being modified.
Color + の + subject
赤い電車 [red train]
赤の電車 [red train]
Why is green actually blue in Japanese
While this may sound strange to westerners, Japanese has both a blue and green word, ao (or aoi). It refers to the entire spectrum, so our blue, teal, and green can all be considered shades of ao.
There is a difference between the word green and blue when it comes to the word 青い(aoi). The kanji for aoi was imported to Japan from ancient China at a time when the two colours were covered by one character.
As a result, Japanese people sometimes use “ao” in places where English speakers would use “green.
Example：
森は あおです。 Mori wa ao desu. The forest is green.
あおしんごう aoshingo green light (signal)
In contrast to North American traffic lights, Japanese traffic lights are a bit bluish.
Considering that seawater is just as green up close as it is blue from a distance, it makes sense that Japanese people call the ocean “ao.
How to say “what color do you prefer
This form differs from the previous one in another important way. The meaning of I-adjectives always includes the word “is”, so it is awkward to use “青だよ”, and more natural to say ”青いよ”. Another way to say this is that ”青い” literally means “it is blue” whereas ”青” just means “blue”.
Having this information is important because if someone asks you 好きな色は何ですか you will know what to answer.(What color(s) would you prefer?), you should answer using the noun forms. Here are a few examples:
Q: 好きな色は何ですか？
A: 青です Correct
A: 青いです It’s not natural
It is possible to use both forms when saying something is a certain color, for example “the blue one”. Both words can be made into nouns by adding a の to the end.
青いの [the black one]
青の [the black one]
Which form of a color word is best for describing something? Personally, I use either the i-adjective form or the noun form, if there is no i-adjective form. However, you may choose either, unless a noun is needed.
What is the best color in Japan?
According to a survey conducted in September 2019, blue is the most popular color in Japan. Blue was the color of choice for almost 40% of respondents, followed by green with approximately 16 percent. Brown was rated as the least favorite color by respondents, coming in last.
In Japan, what does the color blue symbolize? As well as coolness and passivity, blue also conveys fidelity. Japanese clothing is popular in this color. University students wear ‘recruitment suits in blue’ for job interviews, whereas office workers wear different shades of blue. In addition to blue, the other lucky colors in Japan are yellow, white, purple, green, and red.
What is a bad color in Japan?
The black belt in Judo and Karate represents a powerful and tough image. Japanese often describe evil people as having a “black heart” (the same as the West). Black is a color associated with mourning, especially when worn alone. As black-tie events have gained popularity in Western cultures, formality has also become a part of it.