色 means “color”

いろ · iro

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

いろ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショク, シキ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 2 · 6 strokes

The story

The master kanji of the spectrum. 色 appears in every color compound and also carries poetic overtones of beauty, desire, and fleeting things, echoing the Buddhist idea that all 色 (form) is transient.

Used in 景色 (keshiki, scenery) and 色々 (iroiro, various)

Words with 色

• 金色 (きんいろ, kin'iro): golden color
• 水色 (みずいろ, mizuiro): light blue
• 黄色 (きいろ, kiiro): yellow color
• 金色 (きんいろ, kin'iro): golden color
• 銀色 (ぎんいろ, gin'iro): silver color

More from Colors & Shapes

• 黄 yellow
• 緑 green
• 紫 purple
• 金 gold
• 銀 silver
• 丸 circle
• 角 angle
• 線 line
• 形 shape
• 点 point
• 面 face
• 太 thick

Learn 色 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.