White in Japanese
White in Japanese is 白 (shiro). Traditional whites distinguish between refined silk white (白練 / shironeri), oyster shell pigment white (胡粉 / gofun), and unbleached natural white (生成 / kinari).
Modern katakana loanword from English. Used in product naming, fashion, and casual conversation.
What “white” covers in Japanese.
- 白 (shiro) — basic noun for white.
- 白い (shiroi) — i-adjective.
- ホワイト (howaito) — katakana loanword.
- Traditional whites split by material: silk, oyster shell, undyed cotton, snow.
How to use it in a sentence.
- 白い is an i-adjective: 白い雪 (shiroi yuki) — "white snow".
- 白 is paired with 赤 (aka) for the centuries-old red-and-white auspicious pairing.
What the color carries beyond the swatch.
- 白無垢 (shiromuku) — the all-white kimono worn by brides for Shinto weddings.
- 胡粉 (gofun) — oyster-shell white, the foundational pigment of Japanese painting.
- Kōhaku 紅白 (red-and-white) is the auspicious pairing at New Year, weddings, and singing competitions.
Specific named traditional colors — not a single hex.
How do you say white in Japanese?
白 (shiro) is the noun. 白い (shiroi) is the i-adjective. ホワイト (howaito) is the loanword.
What is gofun?
胡粉 (gofun) is the calcined oyster-shell white pigment used in Japanese painting and doll-making, especially for Hina dolls.
Why is red and white paired in Japan?
紅白 (kōhaku) — red and white — has been an auspicious pairing since at least the Genpei era, used at weddings, festivals, and the year-end NHK 紅白歌合戦.
Traditional color values vary by source, textile, pigment, era, and screen display. HEX values are digital approximations; see the methodology for source-status tiers.