色 — how to write the kanji for “color”
色 (“color”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. Its parts: 𠂊, strokes 1–2; 己 (“self”), strokes 3–6, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word iro, “colour; color”. Read shoku, it forms 特色 (“characteristic”), 難色 (“disapproval”) and 一色 (“one color”); the native reading iro gives 黄色 (“yellow”) and 灰色 (“grey”). Chinese reads it sè, “color”, at HSK 2.
- Strokes
- 6
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 色 (“color”)
- On
- ショク, シキ
- Kun
- いろ
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇toprightwards → down and left
- Horizontal-turn ㇕leftrightwards → downwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical-curve-hook ㇟leftdownwards → rightwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (6 strokes in Japanese, 6 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ショク shoku, シキ shiki
- Kun (native)
- いろ iro
- Meanings
- color
- Read shoku
- 特色 難色 一色 異色
- Read iro
- 黄色 灰色 緑色 茶色
- Read shiki
- 色彩 景色
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 621st of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 색 saek
- Common words
- 46 in JMdict
Words with 色
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 色彩 | しきさい shikisai | colour; color |
| 特色 | とくしょく tokushoku | characteristic; (distinctive) feature |
| 難色 | なんしょく nanshoku | disapproval; reluctance |
| 黄色 | きいろ kiiro | yellow; amber |
| 一色 | いっしょく isshoku | one color; one kind |
| 異色 | いしょく ishoku | unique; distinctive |
| 灰色 | はいいろ haiiro | grey; gray |
| 景色 | けしき keshiki | scenery; scene |
| 緑色 | みどりいろ midoriiro | green; green color |
| 茶色 | ちゃいろ chairo | brown; light brown |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: