How to say "gray" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

グレーJLPT N1approx.Common
no-adjectiveThe katakana borrowing of English 'gray' and its direct counterpart; use it when simply naming the color of clothes, cars, walls, or hair.
私の事務所じむしょはあのグレーの６階かい建だてのビルの４階かいだ。↗
My office is on the fourth floor of that gray six-story building.
灰色はいいろJLPT N2approx.Common
no-adjectiveA native word literally meaning 'ash color.' It covers gray with an ashen, dull nuance, suiting things like ash itself or a pale, overcast sky.
私の父ちちは青あおと灰色はいいろのネクタイを持もっている。↗
My father has a blue and gray tie.

Use 「グレー」 for simply naming the color gray, and 灰色 when you want the ash-colored nuance — a dull, ashen gray like ash or an overcast sky.

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

Japanese equivalents

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