JapaneseAdjectives, Nouns Japanese has six basic color words, each of which can be used as an (e.g. “a red dress”) or a (e.g. “the red of the dress”).
赤い[akai] | 赤[aka] | |
青い[aoi] | 青[ao] | |
白い[shiroi] | 白[shiro] | |
黒い[kuroi] | 黒[kuro] | |
黄色い[ki’iroi] | 黄色[ki’iro] | |
茶色い[chairoi] | 茶色[chairo] | |
Other color words in Japanese are either derived from these terms, like 真っ赤な[makkana](bright red), borrowed from other languages, like ピンク[pinku](pink), or from the color of real-world things, like 空色[sorairo](sky-colored).
In this post, we’ll talk about the grammar of color descriptions in Japanese: how to describe the color of things, how to form words like “ash-colored” that come from real-world objects, and when you should use a color adjective vs. a color noun. Ready to have a look? Let’s get started!
How to describe the color of something in Japanese?
The most common way to describe the color of something in Japanese is to use a color noun + の[no].
紫のあじさい
murasaki no ajisai
The particle の[no] is broadly used in Japanese any time you connect two nouns. The noun before の[no] adds information about the second noun. So you only need to add の[no] if the color noun comes before another noun. If it’s at the end of a sentence, の[no] isn’t required.
私は空色の家に住んでいます。
Watashi wa sorairo no ie ni sunde imasu.
I live in a sky-blue house.
私の家は空色です。
Watashi no ie wa sorairo desu.
→ Sentences ending with noun +
だ[da] or noun +
です[desu] are called
noun sentences.
Japanese color words can also be adjectives. If you’re using the adjectival form of a color word, you’ll use them just like the adjectives we introduced in our introduction to Japanese adjectives.
The essential colors listed in the introduction are all i-adjectives, which can be used directly before the noun they describe. We’ll talk about when to use the i-adjective form of color words below!
Color adjectives that are derived from these base words may be either i-adjectives or na-adjectives.
How to make color words using 色 [iro]?
In Japanese, you can add the word 色[iro](color) to certain nouns to create color descriptions like “sky-color” (=sky blue) or “ash-color” (=gray).
Remember, these are color nouns, so you’ll still need to add の[no] when they’re used before another noun. But don’t forget 色[iro]! Without this, the interpretation will be quite different:
a sky house / a house in the sky
Certain color descriptions that use 色 are very common, to the point that you’d think of them as the “standard description” of a certain color. Check out our Japanese color activities to discover the most common ways to use 色 to describe color!
You can also add 色[iro](color) directly to the basic color words, though you’re more likely to hear it left out in this context, since it’s not required.
緑色の[midori’iro no](green-colored)
紫色の[murasaki’iro no](purple-colored)
ピンク色の[pinkuiro no](pink-colored)
When to use color nouns vs. color adjectives?
We saw at the top of this post that the basic color words have adjective forms and noun forms. Most often you’ll use the noun form + の[no], but when should you use the adjective form? You’ll want to follow these basic guidelines:
You’ll use the i-adjective form to describe the color of something that is intrinsic or essential to the thing.
You’ll use the color noun + の[no] when the thing you’re describing comes in a range of colors, and you’re picking out only those in a particular color.
What does this mean for your color descriptions?
You’ll usually mention the color of things that are always one color using an i-adjective. For example:
It would sound strange or even wrong to use color noun + の in sentences like these:
庭に赤いバラが咲いた。
Niwa ni akai bara ga saita.
Red roses are in bloom in our garden.
青い空に白い雲が浮かんでいる。
Aoi sora ni shiroi kumo ga ukande iru.
There are some white clouds floating in the blue sky.
For things that come in a range of colors, both the i-adjective and color noun + の are possible:
However, sometimes one or the other will sound more natural, since they carry different implications about how “essential” the color is to the thing you’re describing. Let’s have a look at a couple of conversations to illustrate these differences:
Conversation 1: Describing one particular thing.
i-adjective
Speaker A:どんな車に乗ってるの?
Don’na kuruma ni notteru no?
What kind of car do you drive?
Speaker B:黒いスポーツカー。
Kuroi supōtsukā.
(I drive) a black sports car.
→ Speaker B has only one car. Cars may come in a range of colors, but this speaker has only one particular car, which is essential to it.
Conversation 2: Using the color to select one from many.
color nounの [no]
Speaker A:今日はどの車で来たの？
Kyō wa dono kuruma de kita no?
In which car did you come today?
Speaker B:黒のスポーツカー。
Kuro no supōtsukā.
(I came in) the black sports car.
→ Here, speaker B has multiple cars in different colors. Speaker B is using the color to call out one of many color options.
In this second dialogue, the i-adjective is also possible, as in, 黒いスポーツカー[kuroi supōtsukā], but 黒の[kuro no] sounds more natural.
These distinctions, of course, only matter when the color has an adjective form. Since we don’t have an adjective form for “gray” or “orange” in Japanese, for example, we describe a cloudy sky as 灰色の空[hai’iro no sora](gray sky) or an evening glow as オレンジ色の空[orenji’iro no sora](orange sky) and they sound perfectly natural!
Summary
Here’s what you should remember about Japanese color descriptions:
The six essential color words can come in two forms: an i-adjective form and a color noun.
Most other Japanese color words are just nouns, often formed using a common noun + 色[iro](color), though.
Most color descriptions follow the pattern color noun + の[no] + noun, though you will sometimes use adjectives for colors, which follow the typical grammar for adjectives.
If your color has an i-adjective form, you should use that instead when you’re describing the inherent or essential color of something.
Ready to practice? Have a look at our Japanese color activity sheets to test your skills! Happy learning!
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