How to Say "Colours" in Japanese

色

[iɾo̞]

The Japanese word for "colours" is 色.

For example, you can use Ao for blue, Akai for red, Kiiroi for yellow, Midori for green, Shiroi for white and Kuroi for black.

Which one should you use?

The word Ao can mean both blue and green when referring to traffic lights.

When referring to traffic lights, be aware that Ao may be interpreted as either blue or green.

In Japanese, the word 色 can be used as a euphemism for romance, sexuality or eroticism. This usage was influenced by Chinese and is similar to how 'colorful' might be used in English.
In a Buddhist context, 色 refers to the concept of 'form' or 'physical matter' rather than just visual hue. This stems from the Sanskrit word 'rūpa', representing the tangible world we perceive through our senses.
In Japanese, a person's 'colour' can refer to their emotional state. The word describes the outward manifestation of a person's internal feelings through their expression.

この絵は色がとても綺麗ですね。
Kono e wa iro ga totemo kirei desu ne.
The colours in this painting are very beautiful.
好きな色は何ですか？
Suki na iro wa nan desu ka?
What is your favourite colour?
もっと明るい色を使いましょう。
Motto akarui iro o tsukaimashou.
Let's use brighter colours.

Youta and Yui are looking at a box of new crayons.

陽太 Yota

新しい色のクレヨンを買いました。
Atarashii iro no kureyon o kaimashita.
I bought new coloured crayons.
結衣 Yui

わあ、色が全部とても鮮やかですね！
Waa, iro ga zenbu totemo azayaka desu ne!
Wow, all the colours are very vivid!
陽太 Yota

結衣さんは、どの色が一番好きですか？
Yui-san wa, dono iro ga ichiban suki desu ka?
Yui, which colour do you like best?
結衣 Yui

私は青い色が一番好きです。
Watashi wa aoi iro ga ichiban suki desu.
I like the colour blue the most.

Sources

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