Black in Japanese

Black in Japanese is 黒 (kuro). Traditional blacks divide between 墨 (sumi / ink black), 漆黒 (shikkoku / lacquer black), and 玄 (gen / deep dark of the night sky).

Native

黒

くろ

kuro

Adjective: 黒い (kuroi)

Loanword

ブラック

burakku

Modern katakana loanword from English. Used in product naming, fashion, and casual conversation.

01Vocabulary scope

What “black” covers in Japanese.

黒 (kuro) — basic noun for black.
黒い (kuroi) — i-adjective.
ブラック (burakku) — katakana loanword.
Traditional blacks divide by material: ink, lacquer, dyed cloth.

02Grammar

How to use it in a sentence.

黒い is an i-adjective: 黒い猫 (kuroi neko) — "black cat".
Black paired with white (黒白 / kuro-shiro or modern 白黒) is used for "right and wrong".

03Cultural context

What the color carries beyond the swatch.

墨 (sumi) — pine-soot black ink, the foundation of shodō calligraphy and sumi-e painting.
漆黒 (shikkoku) — urushi lacquer black, built up in dozens of coats on Wajima lacquerware.
Black mourning dress is modern; classical mourning used 鈍色 (nibi-iro), a muted gray.

04Traditional blacks in the atlas

Specific named traditional colors — not a single hex.

#1B1B1B

墨色すみいろ · Sumi-iroInk black

#0B0B0B

漆黒しっこく · ShikkokuLacquer black

#3B2A1E

焦茶こげちゃ · KogechaScorched brown

05FAQ

How do you say black in Japanese?

黒 (kuro) is the noun. 黒い (kuroi) is the i-adjective. ブラック (burakku) is the loanword.

What is sumi-iro?

墨色 (sumi-iro) is the black of the ink-stick used in calligraphy and sumi-e painting, ground from pine soot or oil soot.

What is shikkoku?

漆黒 (shikkoku) is the deep black of urushi lacquer, achieved through many hand-applied coats.

Traditional color values vary by source, textile, pigment, era, and screen display. HEX values are digital approximations; see the methodology for source-status tiers.