Japanese dictionary
How to say "blue" in Japanese
青あお · ao
"Blue" in Japanese is 青 (ao), or 青い (aoi) to describe something, as in 青い空 (a blue sky).
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Ways to say "blue" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 青あお · ao | Blue (the color). |
| 青いあおい · aoi | Blue (describing a thing). |
| ブルーぶるー · burū | Blue. Common in fashion. |
| 水色みずいろ · mizuiro | Light blue. |
| 紺こん · kon | Navy blue. |
How to use it
In Japanese, 青 can also cover some greens. A green traffic light is 青信号 (aoshingō).
Light blue is 水色 (mizuiro, water color), and navy blue is 紺 (kon).
Example sentences
- 青いシャツを着ている人が部長です。Aoi shatsu o kite iru hito ga buchō desu.The person in the blue shirt is the department manager.
- 今日は空が青いです。Kyō wa sora ga aoi desu.The sky is blue today.
- 信号が青になりました。Shingō ga ao ni narimashita.The light turned green.
- 水色のネクタイをしています。Mizuiro no nekutai o shite imasu.I'm wearing a light blue tie.
- 紺のスーツを買いました。Kon no sūtsu o kaimashita.I bought a navy suit.
- 青のペンで修正してください。Ao no pen de shūsei shite kudasai.Please make corrections in blue pen.
Kanji in this word
Questions
Why is a green light called 青 in Japanese?
Older Japanese used 青 (ao) for both blue and green. The word stayed for traffic lights, so a green light is 青信号 (aoshingō).
How do you say "navy blue" in Japanese?
Navy blue is 紺 (kon) or 紺色 (kon'iro). ネイビー (neibī) is also common in fashion.
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