Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 黒い | kuroi | [kɯ̟ɾo̞i] (narrow) |
| 黒色の | kokushoku no |
黒い is used to describe the color black, meaning something that absorbs all light. It can also be used figuratively to describe something that is suspicious, shady or morally wrong, such as a corrupt person or a scandal. For the noun form meaning 'black' or 'the color black', you can use 黒 or the more technical term 黒色. To refer to a dark-skinned person, the noun 黒人 is used.
Which one should you use?
黒い is the common, everyday adjective used to describe things. In contrast, 黒色の is a more formal or technical way to describe the color of an object and you will often see it in official contexts or product descriptions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
黒い is an i-adjective. This means it can follow the copula in plain speech or be placed directly before a noun to modify it, such as in the phrases くろい服 (black clothes), くろい髪 (black hair) or くろい物 (black things).
How do you pronounce it?
kuroi
Did you know?
- The expression 黒歴史 'black history' refers to a cringeworthy or embarrassing past that someone wishes to erase from their memory.
- The term 黒幕 'black curtain' describes a 'mastermind' or 'puppet master' who controls events from behind the scenes.
- In Japanese law and police terminology, the colors 白 'white' and 黒 'black' are used to denote 'innocent' and 'guilty' respectively.
Examples in context
- この車は黒い。This car is black.This sentence is useful for stating the color of a car using 黒い.Tatoeba #5845176 by joejames, translation #882671 by CM
- 黒いのが私のよ。The black one is mine.This sentence shows how to identify an object using the form 黒い.Tatoeba #9043986 by small_snow, translation #823527 by sacredceltic
- 黒い服の女をみた。I saw a woman in black.This sentence demonstrates how to describe a person's clothing using 黒い.Tatoeba #172988 by bunbuku, translation #241485 by CK
- くろい車Black car
- くろい猫Black cat
- あのくろい車はとても速いです。That black car is very fast.
- わたしのくろいジャケットはどこですか？Where is my black jacket?
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking for a pen on a desk.
- 蓮 Ren黒いペンはどこにある？Kuroi pen wa doko ni aru?Where is the black pen?
- 美咲 Misakiあそこに置いてあるよ。Asoko ni oite aru yo.It's over there.
- 蓮 Renあ、見つけた。ありがとう。A, mitsuketa. Arigatō.Oh, I found it. Thanks.
- 美咲 Misakiどういたしまして。Dōitashimashite.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries 黒い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
