How to say "coloring" in Japanese

• 発色はっしょくCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbColour as it develops or comes out — how vividly a dye, print or dish turns out — rather than the act of adding colour; think 'colour development'.
• 彩りいろどりCommon
  nounThe colourful appearance of something, especially colours arranged to please the eye; typical of food presentation, or of colours that brighten a scene or season.
• 色合いいろあいCommon
  nounThe shade, tone or cast of a colour — how warm, muted or bright something's colouring is — rather than colouring as an action; close to English 'hue'.
  その建物たてものは実じつに美うつくしい色合いろあいの大理石だいりせきでできている。↗

  The building is built of marble of a most lovely color.
• 色気いろけCommon
  nounFor 'colouring' this is seldom the word you want: it really means sex appeal or allure, with only a secondary sense of a faint shade or tinge of colour.
• 着色ちゃくしょくJLPT N1approx.Common
  suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectiveThe act of adding colour to something, such as food or fabric, and, as a noun, a colorant; the natural choice when 'colouring' means deliberately adding colour.

Use 着色 for the act of adding colour, 発色 for colour developing or coming out, 「彩り」 for attractive colourfulness, 「色合い」 for shade or tone, and 色気 is really about allure rather than colour.

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

• 発色はっしょくcoloring
• 彩りいろどりcoloring
• 色合いいろあいcolouring
• 色気いろけcolouring
• 着色ちゃくしょくcolouring
• 色素しきそpigment
• 彩色さいしきcolouring
• カラーリングcoloring
• 色塗りいろぬりcoloring (in; e.g. a drawing)
• 色付けいろづけcoloring
• 着彩ちゃくさいcolouring (a drawing)
• 呈色ていしょくcoloration
• 着色剤ちゃくしょくざいcoloring agent
• 着色料ちゃくしょくりょうcoloring agent
• カラーcoloring (one's hair)