9. Basic vocabulary: Colors and descriptions

Chapter 9: Basic Vocabulary - Colors and Descriptions

Colors are an essential part of communication and expression in any language. In Japanese, they are used to describe the appearance of things, moods, feelings, and much more. In this chapter, we'll explore the basic colors in Japanese and how to use them in your descriptions.

Colors in Japanese

Here are the words for the basic colors in Japanese:

• Aka (赤) - Red
• Kuro (黒) - Black
• Shiro (白) - White
• Midori (緑) - Green
• Ao (青) - Blue
• Kiiro (黄色) - Yellow
• Murasaki (紫) - Purple
• Cha (茶) - Brown
• Gray (グレー) - Gray
• Pink (ピンク) - Pink

It is important to note that in Japanese, colors are often used as adjectives, so they are placed before the noun they are describing. For example, to say "red car", you would say "aka no kuruma".

Describing Colors

Now that you know the basic colors, let's learn how to describe them in more detail. Here are some useful words and phrases:

• Makkuro (真っ黒) - Pure Black
• Masshiro (真っ白) - Pure white
• Akai (赤い) - Red/o
• Kuroi (黒い) - Black/o
• Shiroi (白い) - White/o
• Midori no (緑の) - Green
• Aoi (青い) - Blue
• Kiiroi (黄色い) - Yellow/o
• Murasakiiro (紫色) - Purple
• Chair (茶色) - Brown

To describe the color of something in Japanese, you usually put the color before the noun. For example, to say "blue shirt", you would say "aoi shatsu".

Descriptions in Japanese

In addition to colors, it's important to know how to describe things in Japanese. Here are some useful words and phrases to describe things:

• Atarashii (新しい) - New
• Furui (古い) - Old Man
• Ooki (大きい) - Big
• Chiisai (小さい) - Small
• Takai (高い) - Tall or expensive
• Hikui (低い) - Low or cheap
• Mijikai (短い) - Short
• Nagai (長い) - Long

To use these adjectives in a sentence, you place them before the noun they are describing. For example, to say "a big building", you would say "ookii biru".

We hope this chapter has given you a good foundation to start describing things in Japanese. Remember, practice is the key to mastering any language, so keep practicing these words and phrases until they become second nature to you.

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51Basic vocabulary: Family and relationships

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