How do you say "black" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "black" is (kuro). It is a adjective pronounced "koo-roh".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

黒 is written in kanji. Romanised as kuro, it sounds roughly like "koo-roh" to an English ear.

Example sentence

夜空は黒いです。

Yozora wa kuroi desu.

The night sky is black.

Usage notes

Kuro (黒) means black. In Japan, black is associated with formality and is worn at funerals. The adjective form used before a noun is kuroi, as in kuroi neko (black cat).

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Questions about 黒

How do you pronounce 黒?

黒 is romanised as kuro. Say it roughly like "koo-roh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 黒 formal or casual?

黒 is a na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is 黒 written in Japanese?

黒 is written using kanji. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.