緑の
midori no
The English word green can be translated into Japanese using several forms, most commonly 緑の (midori no). Wiktionary also lists 緑色の (ryokushoku no) and 青い (aoi).
Meaning: having green as its colour (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 緑の | midori no | |
| 緑色の | ryokushoku no | |
| 青い | aoi | [a̠o̞i] (narrow) |
| 青の | ao no |
The term is used to describe objects that possess the color green. Depending on the context, you may use a standard adjectival form or a more colloquial term that technically means blue.
Which one should you use?
緑色の is a more formal or precise way to say green-colored. While 青い literally means blue, it is often used colloquially to mean 'green' when describing certain objects like traffic lights or vegetables.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 緑 is a noun meaning 'green', whereas 緑の is the adjectival form used to modify a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
midori no
When do people say it?
The word 'aoi' (blue) is often used colloquially to mean 'green' when describing certain objects like traffic lights or vegetables.
Did you know?
- The word 青い can be used metaphorically to describe a person who is inexperienced or naive, similar to the English phrase 'green' around the ears.
- If you call a person 'aoi', it might not mean they are the color green, but rather that they look pale or sickly, similar to the English expression 'green around the gills'.
- Historically, the distinction between the colors blue and green was not as sharp in Japanese as it is in English, leading both to be categorized under 青い.
Examples in context
- 彼らは青い。They're green.This sentence shows how to use 青い to describe people being green.Tatoeba #10667327 by YT, translation #2111282 by CK
- この梨、青いね。This pear is green.This sentence uses 青い to describe a green pear.Tatoeba #9162497 by small_snow, translation #1766425 by AlanF_US
- 緑色のはありますか。Do you have any in green?This sentence uses 緑色の to ask about the availability of a green item.Tatoeba #77798 by small_snow, translation #325920 by sundown
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at plants in a shop.
- 美咲 Misakiこの緑の葉っぱ、すごく綺麗ですね。Kono midori no happa, sugoku kirei desu ne.These green leaves are very beautiful, aren't they?
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。美咲さんは、植物が好きなんですか？Hontou da. Misaki-san wa, shokubutsu ga suki nan desu ka?You're right. Misaki, do you like plants?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、緑の植物は落ち着きます。Hai, midori no shokubutsu wa ochitsukimasu.Yes, green plants are calming.
- 健太 Kenta僕も、緑の景色が好きですよ。Boku mo, midori no keshiki ga suki desu yo.I like green scenery too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “green” translations and entries 青い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
