顔かお色いろ

also: がんしょく

か

お

い

ろ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to the color or condition of the skin on one's face, often indicating health or emotion.

facial expression; look on one's face

Focuses on the expression or emotional state visible on the face, rather than skin tone.

〈人ひと〉の顔かお色いろを変かえるto make someone's complexion/expression change (from shock, anger, etc.)
その知しらせを聞きいて彼かれは顔かお色いろを変かえた。
He turned pale/his expression changed when he heard the news.
〈人ひと〉の顔かお色いろをうかがうto watch someone's face closely to gauge their mood
上じょう司しの顔かお色いろをうかがいながら報ほう告こくした。
I reported while carefully watching my boss's expression.
顔かお色いろひとつ変かえないto not show the slightest change in expression; to stay perfectly calm
彼かれは怒おこられても顔かお色いろひとつ変かえなかった。
He didn't bat an eye even when scolded.

表ひょう情じょうN3sense 2
表情 is the general word for facial expression at any time, while 顔色 usually points to a fleeting look that betrays health or emotion.
血けっ色しょく sense 1
血色 refers specifically to healthy, ruddy skin tone, whereas 顔色 covers complexion in general, including pale or sickly looks.
気き色しょく sense 2
気色 is a slightly literary word for one's mood as shown on the face, close to but less common than 顔色 in this sense.

顔かお付つきN2sense 2
顔つき describes someone's lasting facial features or habitual look, while 顔色 refers to a momentary shift in color or expression.
表ひょう情じょうN3
顔色 usually refers to complexion or the color of one's face (often indicating health or mood), whereas 表情 refers to the expression itself.

顔色Usage98%
- かおいろ
  Standard kanji spelling for the common reading かおいろ.
- がんしょく
  Rare on'yomi reading; mainly encountered in older or formal contexts.
顔かおいろUsage2%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; rarely used. Included for recognition.
がんしょく

Compound of 顔 (kao, 'face') and 色 (iro, 'color'). The on'yomi reading がんしょく is a Sino-Japanese reading of the same characters.