Here is a table of most common colors. Note that some words have alternate readings, there might be other words for one color and so on, but what is common usage is mentioned.

Notes:

1) Except for 'black, white, red & blue' other colors end with 色, meaning 'color', read '-iro' and sometimes '-shoku'. Those four colors also can appear in that manner as well but don't have as much usage:

白色 /ha ku sho ku/ : white color

黒色 /ko ku sho ku/ : black color

青色 /sei sho ku/ also /a o i ro/ : blue color

赤色 /se ki sho ku/ also /a ka i ro/ : red color - [For red, which is a popular color in Japanese culture there are other words like 紅色 /kou sho ku/ also read /be ni i ro/]

2) In English the name of the color as a noun and the usage of it as an adjective are the same:

Example : I love 'white' (noun) - The white (adjective) clouds are pretty.

But in Japanese, it is slightly different, the colors ending in 色 as mentioned above, will need a の /no/ right after them and before the next noun.

Example : 金色の太陽 [kin'iro no taiyou] means 'The golden sun'.

3) Romaji (English readings of Japanese words) readings containing ' like (gin'iro) indicate that the 'n' right before 'iro' is consonant and because of the 'i' vowel after it, it is pronounced more fluidly, like saying 'giy-yiro'.

4) For 'orange, pink & gray' these alternates are also common and need to be mentioned:

ピンク /pin ku/ : pink [adjective : ピンクの /pin ku no/]

オレンジ /o ren ji/ : orange [adjective : オレンジの /o ren ji no/]

鼠色 /ne zu mi i ro/ : gray [adjective 鼠色の /ne zu mi i ro no] [meaning : mouse color]

5) To say 'dark + color' and 'light + 'color' there are some ways, but usually 濃い /koi/ [dark, thick, strong etc] and 薄い /u sui/ [light, thin, weak etc] are used before the name of the color.

Example : 濃い青色のカバー : [koi aoiro no kabaa] : [dark blue cover]

Color...............Kanji/Kana...............Romaji...............Adjective...............Literal Meaning

Amber...............飴色..........................ame iro...............~の (~no)..............candy color

Black.................黒.............................kuro...................黒い (kuroi)...........black/dark

Blue...................青............................ao......................青い (aoi)................blue (rarely also green)

Brown.................褐色.........................kasshoku............~の (~no)..............brown

Crimson..............紅............................kurenai................紅 (kurenai)...........crimson

Golden................金色.........................kin'iro.................~の (~no).............gold color

Green.................緑色.........................midori iro............~の (~no)..............green

Gray...................灰色.........................hai iro.................~の (~no)..............ash color

Indigo.................藍色.........................ai iro..................~の (~no)..............indigo

Light blue............水色........................mizu iro...............~の (~no)..............water color

Orange................橙色........................daidai iro.............~の (~no)..............citrus color

Olive...................オリーブいろ...............oriibu iro..............~の (~no)...............olive color

Pink....................桃色.........................momo iro.............~の (~no)...............peach color

Purple/Violet........紫色.........................murasaki iro.........~の (~no).............purple

Red.....................赤............................aka.......................赤い (akai).............red

Scarlet.................深紅色......................shinkoushoku........~の (~no)............deep red color

Silver...................銀色.........................gin'iro.................~の (~no).............silver color

Tawny/Brown........茶色.........................cha iro.................~の (~no).............tea color

Teal.....................鴨の羽色...................kamonoha iro........~の (~no).............duck feather color

White...................白...........................shiro.....................白い (shiroi)..........white

Yellow..................黄色.........................ki iro....................~の (~no).............yellow

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