How to say "pale" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 青白いあおじろいi-adjectiveCovers 'pale' for a person's complexion: skin that looks whitish or faintly blue from illness, fear or fatigue. 'Pallid' is often the closer English equivalent than a neutral 'pale'.
- prenominal modifierA katakana loanword. In ordinary sentences it is seldom the word you want for 'pale'; it turns up mainly inside fixed loanword phrases, so for running prose a native adjective is the natural choice.
- 淡いあわいi-adjectiveFor 'pale' in the sense of a faint, delicate shade or light; by extension it describes faint feelings or hopes, shading into 'fleeting' — a pale glow, a faint hope.
- 薄いうすいi-adjectiveThe natural choice when 'pale' refers to colour — a pale shade or tint. It also covers 'light' and 'faint': light coffee, faint light or a faint smell.
- 浅いあさいi-adjectiveChiefly about degree: a slight wound, light sleep, inadequate knowledge. Its 'pale' sense applies to colour and is marginal; for pale colours 薄い is the word you will almost always want.
Choose 「薄い」 for pale colours, 「青白い」 for a pale complexion, 「淡い」 for faint shades and fleeting feelings, 「浅い」 chiefly for slight wounds and light sleep (pale colour only marginally), and 「ペール」 mainly in loanword phrases.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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