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Activities: "How to describe color in Japanese?"

By: Mayumi Ito

Activity: Traditional colors

Let’s get familiar with some traditional Japanese colors that consist of the “object + 色 transcribed iromeaning color” structure.

Part A:

Let’s finish the color table by filling the blanks with one of the English equivalents given in the Word Bank. You can use each word only once.
Word BankChoose a word, then choose a blank. You can also drag.
A gray rat holding cheese
鼠色 transcribed nezumi iromeaning mouse color =
Pale pink cherry blossoms
桜色 transcribed sakura iromeaning cherry blossom color =
blue water in a pool
水色 transcribed mizu iromeaning water color =
light purple wisteria flowers
藤色 transcribed fuji iromeaning wisteria color =
An amber-colored lollipop candy.
飴色 transcribed ame iromeaning candy color =
brown tea leaves
焦茶色 transcribed kogecha iromeaning burnt tea color =
a pink peach on the tree
桃色 transcribed momo iromeaning peach color =
A red fox
狐色 transcribed kitsune iromeaning fox color =
A bundle of dark green sprouted onions
萌葱色 transcribed moegi iromeaning “sprouted green onion” color =

Part B:

Finish the following sentences using the Japanese colors given in the table above.
Word BankChoose a word, then choose a blank. You can also drag.
  1. パンが焼けた！こんがりだ。
    Pan ga yaketa! Kongari da.
    Bread is done! They are perfectly golden brown.
  2. その女の子は、ほんのり頬をして、恥しそうに微笑んだ。
    Sono on’na no ko wa hon’nori ... ho’o o shite, hazukashisōni hohoenda.
    The girl smiled shyly with her cheeks blushed in a delicate shade of pale pink. (lit., “slightly pale pink cheeks”)
    → ほんのり transcribed hon’norimeaning slightly; faintly; 頬 transcribed ho’omeaning cheek(s)
  3. ムさんの目はきれいなですね。
    Tomu san no me wa kireina ... desu ne.
    You have beautiful light blue eyes, don’t you, Tom?
  4. 次に玉ねぎをになるまで炒めてください。
    Tsugi ni tamanegi o ... ni naru made itamete kudasai.
    Next, sauté onions until they turn amber in color.
    → 〜になる transcribed …ni narumeaning to turn [into] …
  5. うちのタマはです。猫だけど。

    Uchi no Tama wa ... desu. Neko da kedo.
    Our Tama is gray-colored. She is a cat though.
    → “Tama” is a traditional Japanese name given to a cat (maybe like “Kitty” in English).