Colour words in Japanese

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黒 / 黒い (kuro / kuroi) / ブラック (burakku)

Shades of black and black-related expressions

• 墨色 (sumi-iro) - ink black
• 濡れ羽色 (mureba-iro) - jet black
• 黒黒 / 黒々 (kuroguro) - deep black
• 真っ黒 / 真黒 (makkuro) - pitch black
• 烏羽色 (karasuba-iro) - glossy black
• 闇商人 (yamishōnin) - black marketeer
• 珍中の珍 (chinchū no chin - rarity; black swan
• 焼け野の鴉 (yakenonokarasu) - blacker than black

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白 / 白い (shiro / shiroi) - white; good guy; 'white hat'

Shades of white and white-related expressions

• 白湯 (sayu) - hot/boiled water
• 白紙 (hakushi) - blank/white paper
• 真白 (mashiro - pure white
• 象牙色 (zōge-iro) - ivory-white

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赤 / 赤い (aka / akai); 丹色 (ni-iro)

Shades of red and red-related expressions

• 暗紅色/暗赤色 (ankōshoku) - dark red
• 浅紅 (senkō) / 薄肉 (usuniku)) - light red
• 紅梅色 (kōbai-iro) - red plum coloured
• 桜色 (sakura-iro) - cherry blossom coloured
• 桃色 (momo-iro) - peach-coloured
• 紅海 (kōkai) - Red Sea
• 赤熱 (sekinetsu) - red hot

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黄色 (ki-iro / ōshoku / kōshoku) - yellow; amber

Shades of yellow and yellow-related expressions

• 浅黄 (asagi) / 桑色 (kuwa-iro) - light yellow
• 黄鉛 (ōen / kōen) - chrome yellow
• 黄枯茶 (kigarachya) - bluish yellow
• 朽ち葉色 (kuchiba-iro) - yellow-brown
• 黄海 (kōkai) - Yellow Sea

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青 / 青色 (ao / ao-iro) - blue/green / ブリュ (buryu) - blue

Shades of blue and blue-related expressions

• 水色 (mizudori) - light blue (water colour)
• 濃紺 (nōkon) - dark blue
• 紺色 (kon-iro) - deep blue
• 紺青 (konshō) - navy blue
• 空色 (sora-iro) - sky-blue
• 碧眼 (hekigan) - blue eyes

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緑 (midori) - green

Shades of green and green-related expressions

• 碧色 (hekishoku) - green; emerald
• 黄緑 (kimidori) / 浅緑 (asamidori) - light green
• 草色 (kuchi-iro) / 暗緑 (hisui-iro) - dark green

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茶色 (chairo) / 褐色 (kasshoku) - brown

Shades of brown

• 黒茶色 (kurocha-iro) - deep brown
• 暗褐色 (ankashoku) / 濃褐色 (n) - dark brown
• 狐色 (kitsune-iro) 淡褐色 (tankasshoku) - light brown

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桃色 (momoiro) / 淡紅色 (tankōshoku) / ピンク - pink

Shades of pink and pink-related expressions

• 濃桃 (nōtō) - deep pink
• 褪紅 (taikō) - light pink

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橙色 (daidaiiro) / オレンジ (orenji) - orange

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灰色 (haiiro) / 鼠色 (muzumi-iro) - grey

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紫 (murasaki) / パープル (pūpuru) - purple

Shades of purple and purple-related expressions

• 濃紫 (komurasaki) - dark purple
• 浅紫 (achimurasaki) - light purple

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