紫色
murasakiiro[mɯ̟ɾa̠sa̠kʲiiɾo̞]
In Japanese, the English word "violet" can be translated as 紫色 (murasakiiro). Wiktionary also lists 菫色 (sumireiro) and 青紫 (aomurasaki).
Meaning: colour (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 紫色 | murasakiiro | [mɯ̟ɾa̠sa̠kʲiiɾo̞] (narrow) [ɕiɕo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 菫色 | sumireiro | [sɨmʲiɾe̞iɾo̞] (narrow) |
| 青紫 | aomurasaki |
The terms used for violet in Japanese vary based on whether you are referring to a general purple color, the specific shade of a violet flower or a blue-leaning purple shade.
Which one should you use?
紫色 refers to the general category of purple. 菫色 (sumireiro) is used specifically to describe the color of a violet flower. 青紫 (aomurasaki) is used to describe a shade that leans more towards blue than the standard purple of 紫色.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
murasakiiro
Did you know?
- In ancient Japan, 紫色 was a restricted color that only the highest-ranking officials in the imperial court were allowed to wear.
- The color 紫色 is closely linked to the author Murasaki Shikibu, whose name incorporates the word for purple.
- The word 紫色 is derived from the name of a specific plant, the Japanese gromwell, which was historically used to create a highly prized purple dye.
Examples in context
- 彼女は美しい紫のドレスを着ている。She is wearing a beautiful violet dress.
- 彼は好きな色として菫色を選びました。He chose violet as his favorite color.
- この絵には鮮やかな赤紫が使われています。This painting uses a vibrant shade of violet.
- 空が紫色に染まっています。sora ga murasakiiro ni somatte imasu.The sky is stained violet.
- このドレスは紫色です。kono doresu wa murasakiiro desu.This dress is violet.
- 私は紫色が好きです。watashi wa murasakiiro ga suki desu.I like violet.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの絵の紫色は綺麗ですね。kono e no murasakiiro wa kirei desu ne.The violet in this painting is beautiful, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himari本当ですね。とても幻想的です。honto desu ne. totemo gensoteki desu.It really is. It's very dreamy.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵さんは、この色が好きですか？himari-san wa, kono iro ga suki desu ka?Himari, do you like this color?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、大好きです。hai, daisuki desu.Yes, I love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “violet” translations and entries 紫色, 菫色, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 紫色, CC BY-SA 4.0.
