色
Meanings
The basic concrete meaning: a visual color, hue, tint, or shade of something.
I changed the wall color to a bright blue.
The color of the sky gradually changed in the sunset.
Used for the color or look of skin, especially in expressions about the face or someone's health.
My skin color changed after getting sunburned.
Perhaps because she is tired, her complexion looks bad.
look; expression; air; feeling
An abstract visible sign, mood, or air that appears on a face, in a place, or in a situation, often in the pattern Xの色.
A look of surprise appeared on his face.
There was an air of tension in the meeting room.
character; personality; individual style
Refers to a person's or group's distinctive character, personal stamp, or style as it appears in work or behavior.
The artist's individual style comes through clearly in this painting.
The new coach's character has begun to show in the team.
A sound's quality or tone color, most commonly encountered in compounds such as 音色 rather than as a free everyday noun.
This cello has a deep tone.
romance; lust; sensuality; love affair
The erotic or romantic sense of 色, often in compounds and fixed expressions such as 色恋 and 色仕掛け; standalone use can sound old-fashioned or stylized.
See also: 色仕掛け
He almost never talks about romance.
They tried to deceive the other person with a seductive ploy.
Rare and old-fashioned use for a lover or paramour; modern Japanese normally uses words such as 恋人, 愛人, or 情人 depending on the relationship.
In old novels, 色 is sometimes used to mean a lover or paramour.
A type or variety, now limited in feel and often seen in fixed expressions such as 十人十色 or in counting varieties. 種 as another spelling for this sense.
The reactions varied from person to person and could not be summed up in one way.
Usage patterns
- 色が変わるfor the color of something to change
The mountains are starting to change color with the autumn leaves.
- 色を混ぜるto mix colors together
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
- 〈物〉と色が合うfor the color to match something
This bag matches the color of the shoes.
- 自分の色を出すto express one's own personal style or character
He brings his own personal style to his performance.
- 〈事〉の色が濃いfor a certain character or trait to stand out strongly
This work has a strongly political character.
- 〈事〉の色が浮かぶfor a look or air of something to appear (on a face)
A look of surprise appeared on her face.