鴨の羽色
kamo no ha-iro
The English phrase "teal" is translated into Japanese as 鴨の羽色 (kamo no ha-iro).
鴨の羽色 refers to the specific iridescent greenish-blue color of a duck's feathers. It is used as a poetic or traditional way to describe this color, rather than being a common modern color name used in daily life.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kamo no ha-iro
Did you know?
- Japanese has historically avoided a strict distinction between 'blue' and 'green', meaning 鴨の羽色 falls into a broader category of colors called ao.
- The word kamo for 'duck' in 鴨の羽色 specifically refers to the mallard, as the iridescent green head is the most iconic example of this color in Japanese nature.
- In classical Japanese poetry, colors like 鴨の羽色 were often used to evoke specific seasons or moods rather than providing a literal visual description.
Examples in context
- あのクッションの色、かわいいね！ テール っていう色好きだよ。I like the color of that cushion. It's cute! It's called teal, you know.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at paint samples for a room.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さん、どの色が一番いいと思いますか？Ren-san, dono iro ga ichiban ii to omoimasu ka?Ren, which color do you think is the best?
- 蓮 Ren僕はこの鴨の羽色が気に入っています。Boku wa kono kamo no haniro ga kiniitte imasu.I like this teal one.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。とても落ち着いた色です。Ii desu ne. Totemo ochitsuita iro desu.That's nice. It's a very calming color.
- 蓮 Renはい、部屋にぴったりだと思います。Hai, heya ni pittari da to omoimasu.Yes, I think it's perfect for the room.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teal” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
