彩
coloring, paint, makeup
Readings
On'yomi
- サイ
Kun'yomi
- いろど.る
Nanori
- あや
- さ
- さえ
- つや
Meaning
彩 centers on adding color or decoration to something: coloring, painting, or applying makeup to enhance appearance.
Most common words using 彩
20 of 63- 色彩しきさいN2
colour; color; hue; tints
- 多彩たさいN2
colourful; colorful; multicoloured; multicolored; varicoloured; varicolored
- 迷彩めいさい
camouflage; disguise
- 彩るいろどる
to colour; to color; to paint
- 水彩すいさい
watercolor painting
- 彩色さいしき
colouring; coloring; colouration; coloration; painting
- 彩りいろどり
coloring; colouring; coloration; colouration
- 油彩ゆさい
oil painting
- 彩雲さいうん
iridescent clouds; glowing clouds
- 虹彩こうさい
iris
- 異彩いさい
conspicuousness (usu. color); prominence; distinctiveness
- 精彩せいさい
brilliance; luster; lustre; colorfulness; colourfulness
- 極彩色ごくさいしき
richly colored; richly coloured
- 光彩こうさい
brilliance; splendour; splendor; lustre; luster
- 水彩画すいさいが
watercolor painting; watercolour painting
- 不透明水彩ふとうめいすいさい
gouache
- 五彩ごさい
the five colours: green, yellow, red, white and black; the five colors; five-coloured porcelain; five-colored porcelain
- 光学迷彩こうがくめいさい
optical camouflage
- 光彩陸離こうさいりくり
dazzling; brilliant
- 国際色彩学会こくさいしきさいがっかい
International Colour Association; AIC
Study
Etymology
彩 combines 采 (picking, gathering) with 彡 (hair, decorative pattern). The compound suggests gathering colors or applying decorative patterns, leading to the idea of coloring or painting.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 采 looks like a hand picking something, and the right side 彡 suggests decorative strokes. Imagine a hand picking up a brush and adding colorful strokes to a canvas: 彩 is coloring or painting.
Reading mnemonic
For サイ, imagine a sigh of satisfaction as you finish coloring a beautiful picture: sigh -> サイ, and the colors make you sigh with pleasure.