Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 青い | aoi | [a̠o̞i] (narrow) |
| 青の | ao no |
The term is used to describe the color blue. In certain traditional contexts, 青い can also be used to describe things that English speakers would call green, such as green traffic lights or green vegetables (青物).
Which one should you use?
The word 青い is an adjective used to describe a quality, whereas 青 is the noun used to name the color itself. While 青い is a direct descriptor, the form 青の combines the noun 青 with the particle の to modify a noun, which is often used for more specific or formal color descriptions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
青い is an i-adjective that can be used directly before nouns to describe them, such as in the phrase 青い空 (blue sky). The form 青の uses the noun 青 combined with the possessive particle の to modify a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
aoi
Did you know?
- The word 青い can also be used metaphorically to mean 'immature' or 'inexperienced', similar to how English uses 'green' to describe a novice.
- When someone's face turns 青い, it does not mean they are cold, but that they are pale with fear or shock.
- The transition from the classical attributive form awoki to the modern aoi demonstrates how Japanese word endings have simplified over centuries.
Examples in context
- 彼は目が青い。He has blue eyes.This sentence is useful for describing the color of someone's eyes using 青い.Tatoeba #1384726 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #1384711 by enteka
- 空が青いです。The sky is blue.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the sky using 青い.Tatoeba #10930413 by small_snow, translation #18275 by CK
- 唇が青いわよ。Your lips are blue.This sentence is useful for describing the color of someone's lips using 青い.Tatoeba #11512653 by small_snow, translation #3303903 by Hybrid
- 彼女のドレスは青いです。Her dress is blue.
- 今日は青い空ですね！Today, the sky is blue, isn't it?
- 水色の花がきれいですね！The light blue flowers are beautiful, aren't they?
- 124 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are shopping for clothes together.
- 蓮 Renこの青いシャツはどうかな？Kono aoi shatsu wa dou kana?What do you think of this blue shirt?
- 美咲 Misakiいいと思うけど、少し明るすぎるよ。Ii to omou kedo, sukoshi akarusugiru yo.I think it's nice, but it's a bit too bright.
- 蓮 Renじゃあ、もっと濃い青い色を探そう。Jaa, motto koi aoi iro o sagasou.Then let's look for a darker blue color.
- 美咲 Misakiあっちにいい色があるよ。Acchi ni ii iro ga aru yo.There is a good color over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blue” translations and entries 青い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 青い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
