色彩|しきさいshikisai[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. nouncolour; color; hue; tints
    雄おすのくじゃくは尾おの羽毛うもうが色彩しきさい豊ゆたかである。↗
    The male peacock has colorful tail feathers.
Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym色合いいろあいNeutralNeutral. A colour's shade or tone, as in 「優しい色合い」; it centres on the feel of how colours combine, whereas 「色彩」 is more written and artistic.
  • Synonym彩りいろどりNeutralNeutral. Colour coordination or garnish, as in 「料理の彩り」; it is about adding colour and visual appeal.
  • Synonym色調しきちょうWrittenWritten/formal prose. The overall tone of colours, as in 「暖かい色調」; leans toward art contexts.
  • Synonym色いろNeutralNeutral. The plain, most common word for colour; 「色彩」 is more written and can also suggest a figurative tint or leaning.
  • SynonymカラーNeutralNeutral. A loanword for colour or a distinctive character, as in 「チームカラー」; leans colloquial and commercial.
  • Synonym彩色さいしきWrittenWritten/formal prose. Applying colour, as in 「彩色画」; focuses on the act of colouring rather than colour itself.
  • Synonym色相しきそうFormalFormal. A technical term for hue in colour science; leans toward specialist and academic use.
  • Antonym無色むしょくNeutralNeutral. Having no colour, as in 「無色透明」; the opposite of 「色彩」, which implies colour is present.

Use 「色彩」 for colour itself or a figurative tint or tendency, as in 「色彩豊か」 and 「政治的色彩」. For everyday colour say 「色」; for tone and how colours go together, 「色合い」; for accents, 「彩り」; the opposite is 「無色」.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 色いろ。
  2. 物事ものごとの傾向けいこうや特色とくしょく。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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