How do you say "pink" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "pink" is ピンク (pinku). It is a adjective pronounced "pee-n-koo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

ピンク is written in katakana. Romanised as pinku, it sounds roughly like "pee-n-koo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

桜の花びらはピンクです。

Sakura no hanabira wa pinku desu.

Cherry blossom petals are pink.

Usage notes

Pinku (ピンク) is a loanword from English for pink. It is strongly associated with sakura (cherry blossoms) and is one of Japan's most culturally celebrated colors each spring.

Related words

Practice ピンク and hundreds more Japanese words in the game.

Buy on Steam

Questions about ピンク

How do you pronounce ピンク?

ピンク is romanised as pinku. Say it roughly like "pee-n-koo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ピンク formal or casual?

ピンク 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 ピンク written in Japanese?

ピンク is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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.