Yellow in Japanese

Yellow in Japanese is 黄色 (ki-iro) or simply 黄 (ki). Traditional yellows have rich origins — 山吹色 (kerria), 黄檗色 (Amur cork tree bark), and 玉子色 (egg yolk).

Native

黄色

きいろ

ki-iro

Adjective: 黄色い (kiiroi)

Loanword

イエロー

ierō

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

01Vocabulary scope

What “yellow” covers in Japanese.

黄 (ki) — basic kanji, often combined with 色 for clarity.
黄色 (ki-iro) — the everyday noun form.
黄色い (kiiroi) — i-adjective.
イエロー (ierō) — modern katakana loanword.

02Grammar

How to use it in a sentence.

黄色い is an i-adjective: 黄色いレモン (kiiroi remon) — "yellow lemon".
Use 黄の or 黄色の to modify a noun by color in formal writing.
Specific yellows are named for their material source — kerria flower, Amur cork bark, mustard seed.

03Cultural context

What the color carries beyond the swatch.

山吹色 (yamabuki-iro) is named for the Japanese kerria flower of late spring.
黄檗色 (kihada-iro) was traditionally used to dye sutra paper; the bark is also a Buddhist medicine.
Gold and yellow together — kin-iro 金色 and ki-iro 黄色 — are used in different ceremonial contexts.

04Traditional yellows in the atlas

Specific named traditional colors — not a single hex.

#D8A431

山吹色やまぶきいろ · Yamabuki-iroGolden yellow

#EBC676

黄檗色きはだいろ · Kihada-iroAmur cork yellow

#C8B560

芥子色からしいろ · Karashi-iroMustard yellow

#E8B752

玉子色たまごいろ · Tamago-iroEgg yolk yellow

#D8C857

鶸色ひわいろ · Hiwa-iroGreenfinch yellow

05FAQ

How do you say yellow in Japanese?

黄色 (ki-iro) is the everyday noun. 黄色い (kiiroi) is the i-adjective. イエロー (ierō) is the katakana loanword.

What is the most famous traditional Japanese yellow?

山吹色 (yamabuki-iro), the golden yellow of the kerria flower.

Is gold considered a yellow in Japanese?

Gold (金色 / kin-iro) is treated as a separate metallic color in modern usage, though it overlaps with deep yellows in some classical contexts.

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