銀
gin[ɡʲĩɴ]
In Japanese, silver is said as 銀 (gin). If unsure, use 銀. Wiktionary also lists 白銀 (hakugin).
Meaning: metal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 銀 | gin | [ɡʲĩɴ] (narrow) [ɕiɾo̞ɡa̠ne̞] (narrow) |
| 白銀 | hakugin | [ha̠kɯ̟ɡʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
The primary word for the metal itself is 銀. If you want to describe an object as having a silver color, you should use the adjective 銀色の.
Which one should you use?
While 銀 refers to the metal itself, the form 白銀 is used in literary contexts to describe a brilliant, pure white silver color or a snowy landscape.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the color-related adjective 銀色の, you must follow it with the particle の.
How do you pronounce it?
gin
Did you know?
- The character 銀 is often used in the names of traditional Japanese sweets or crafts to imply a shimmering, high-quality finish without the item actually containing metal.
- In traditional Japanese art, silver leaf known as 銀箔 is used to create a 'cool' moonlight effect, contrasting with the 'warm' glow of gold leaf.
- In the compound word 白銀, the pronunciation of 'metal' shifts from kane to gane due to a linguistic rule called 'rendaku'.
Examples in context
- 雄弁は銀、沈黙は金。Speech is silver, silence is gold.This sentence shows how to use 銀 in a proverb about speech and silence.Tatoeba #79149 by tommy__san, translation #239721 by jakov
- これは本物の銀ですか？Is this real silver?This sentence demonstrates how to ask if an item is made of real 銀.Tatoeba #8738091 by bunbuku, translation #5078443 by Lindoula
- 金は銀より価値があります。Gold is more valuable than silver.This sentence compares the value of gold and 銀.Tatoeba #11508407 by small_snow, translation #6317788 by carlosalberto
- 私の車は銀色です。My car is silver.
- 彼女のドレスは白銀色でした。Her dress was silver.
- 彼の髪の毛は銀色のようだ。His hair seems silver.
- この腕時計は銀だ。This wristwatch is silver.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at jewelry at a store.
- 蓮 Renこの指輪は銀でできていますか？Kono yubiwa wa gin de dekite imasu ka?Is this ring made of silver?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、すべて純銀です。Hai, subete jungin desu.Yes, it is all pure silver.
- 蓮 Ren銀の色はとても綺麗ですね。Gin no iro wa totemo kirei desu ne.The color of silver is very beautiful, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himari本当ですね。蓮さんに似合いますよ。Hontō desu ne. Ren-san ni niaimasu yo.It really is. It suits you, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silver” translations and entries 銀, 白銀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 銀, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
