Translation guide
A dark bluish-gray color, like the rock slate. In Japanese, it's often expressed with specific color terms or descriptive phrases.
slate gray
Most common in modern contexts like fashion and design.
Describe something as slate gray in color.
Direct loanword from English, commonly used in fashion, design, and product descriptions.
This slate gray suit is very chic.
Means 'slate color'. Slightly more Japanese-sounding than the pure loanword.
I painted the walls slate gray.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'bluish gray'. Useful when the exact loanword isn't known.
The sky turned a bluish gray.
Technical term literally meaning 'slate rock color'. Rarely used outside geological or academic contexts.
This stratum exhibits a slate gray color.