鼈べっ甲こう色いろ

べ

っ

こ

う

い

ろ

Meanings

1

noun

amber (color); tortoiseshell color

Refers to a translucent brownish-yellow color resembling tortoiseshell or amber. Used for describing objects, materials, or light.

彼かの女じょは鼈べっ甲こう色いろの眼鏡めがねをかけている。

She wears amber-colored glasses.

この飴あめは鼈べっ甲こう色いろで、懐なつかしい味あじがする。

This candy is amber-colored and has a nostalgic taste.

Kanji

鼈snapping turtle, fresh-water turtle
甲armor, high (voice), A grade
色color

Related words

琥こ珀はく色いろ
琥珀色 also means amber color, but is more common and refers specifically to the gemstone amber. 鼈甲色 is less frequent and derives from tortoiseshell, often implying a slightly darker or more brownish hue.

Written forms

鼈べっ甲こう色いろ
Standard kanji spelling for the amber color, literally 'tortoiseshell color'.
べっこう色いろ
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling; 鼈 is a non-jōyō kanji, so this form is often used in everyday writing.
べっ甲こう色いろ
Alternative spelling using the simplified variant 甲 for the second character.

Etymology

Compound of 鼈甲 (べっこう, 'tortoiseshell') and 色 (いろ, 'color'). The word 鼈甲 itself is of Chinese origin, referring to the shell of the soft-shelled turtle.