Prefix meaning 'white' or 'pure white', used in compounds like 白波 (しらなみ, whitecaps) or 白鳥 (しらとり, swan).
I was looking at the sea with whitecaps.
unseasoned; undyed; unaltered
Prefix indicating something in its natural, unprocessed state, such as unseasoned food or undyed fabric. Common in words like 白木 (しらき, unfinished wood) or 白焼き (しらやき, grilled without sauce).
Intensifying prefix, often used in older or literary expressions. Seen in words like 白々明け (しらじらあけ, the first light of dawn) or 白々しい (しらじらしい, blatant).
playing dumb
Prefix used in the verb しらばくれる (to play dumb, to feign ignorance). Rare and limited to this specific compound.
See also: しらばっくれる
He knew perfectly well, but he played dumb and acted innocent.
Noun or adjectival noun meaning sincere, honest, or diligent. Often used in the phrase 白を切る (しらをきる, to feign innocence) or 白々しい (しらじらしい, transparently false).
Unseasoned grilled fish lets you enjoy the natural flavor of the ingredients.
The 白 in 白々しい is a prefix that emphasizes blatantness.
I was disgusted by his transparently false excuse.
plain wood; unfinished woodwork
white sandy beach
soft roe; milt · albino
white gem; pearl · rice flour dumpling · white-flowered camellia
Japanese white birch
glistening dew; white dew · White Dew solar term
white flag; truce flag; surrender flag
white feather; white plume
shirasu; white pumiceous soil of southern Kyushu
shirataki noodles; konjac noodles · waterfall like a white sheet
white plaster wall · tofu; bean curd
disenchantment; apathy; spoiled fun; turn-off
barefaced; transparently false; shameless · feigning ignorance; disingenuous · pure white; very clear
white heron; egret
white plum blossoms; white-blossomed plum tree
whitecaps; white-crested waves · thief; burglar
white chrysanthemum
be dampened; be spoiled; become subdued; turn sour; become unamused; become bored; become apathetic · turn white; fade to white; grow light at dawn
fair skin; white skin; light complexion · vitiligo; leukoderma
white clouds
white clay; kaolin; mortar
growing light; dawning · pale; white · transparently; obviously; feigning ignorance
white thread
ringworm of the scalp; tinea capitis
light brown; pale brown · white tea
icefish; noodlefish; whitebait
white sandbar; white sandbank · white sand or pebble area in a garden or entrance · gravel area separating a noh stage from the audience · Edo-period court of law with white sand
whiten; grow light; turn white · cool down; dampen; spoil · decline; weaken; falter; fade
sapwood
Standard kanji spelling for this prefix and noun use.
The prefix しら is a bound form of しろ (white), appearing in older compounds. Its extended meanings (unseasoned, pure, intensifying) derive from the core idea of 'white' or 'blank'.