How to say "brown" in Japanese

• 茶色ちゃいろJLPT N5approx.Common
  no-adjectiveThe common, default word for the color brown, covering ordinary brown through light brown and tawny shades. Use it whenever you simply mean that something is brown; it is the safe choice in everyday description.
  その犬いぬは茶色ちゃいろで小ちいさくて、やせています。↗

  The dog is brown, small and thin.
• ブラウン
  no-adjectiveThe katakana loanword for 'brown', found in borrowed terms and names. It is less common than 茶色, which is the word to use when you simply mean the color.
• 青鹿毛あおかげ
  nounA term for a horse's coat color: 'brown' in the specialized vocabulary of horse coats. Use it only when talking about horses; it is not the general word for the color brown.
• 赤銅色しゃくどういろ
  no-adjectiveA deep, coppery reddish-brown — literally the color of red copper — also used for a dark tan, as of sun-tanned skin. It names a specific rich shade, not brown in general; use 茶色 for that.
• 焼き目をつけるやきめをつける
  expression, ichidan verbA cooking verb meaning to brown or sear food — to cook it until the surface browns. Use it for the action of browning food, not for the color itself.

Use 茶色 for the color brown in general, 「ブラウン」 as the loanword alternative, 青鹿毛 only for a horse's coat, 赤銅色 for a deep coppery brown or tan, and 「焼き目をつける」 for browning food.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 茶色ちゃいろbrown
• ブラウンbrown
• 青鹿毛あおかげbrown (horse coat color)
• 赤銅色しゃくどういろbrown
• 焼き目をつけるやきめをつけるto cook until browned
• 茶ちゃbrown