black

About this kanji

The kanji "黒" means black and is commonly used both as a noun and in compounds. It has the kun'yomi reading くろ and is often found in words like "黒い" (くろい), which simply means black, describing the color of objects. Another interesting compound is "黒字" (くろじ), meaning being in the black, often used in financial contexts to indicate profit. Additionally, "黒人" (こくじん) refers to a black person, emphasizing its relevance in social contexts. A quick usage note: when using the kanji in daily life, it’s important to remember that the cultural implications of colors can vary, especially in Japanese society.

Example sentences

• 彼女は黒いドレスを着ています。

  She is wearing a black dress.

Meanings across languages

English

black

Tiếng Việt

đen

日本語

黒い

한국어

검은

中文

黑

id

hitam

th

ดำ

es

negro

fr

noir

de

schwarz

pt

preto

Common compounds

• 黒字くろじ(being in) the black, surplus, black letter
• 黒人こくじんblack person, woman in the nightlife business, demimondaine
• 黒いくろいblack, dark, blackish
• 黒鉛こくえんgraphite
• 黒海こっかいBlack Sea
• 黒子ほくろmole, lentigo, beauty mark
• 黒色くろいろblack (colour, color)
• 黒星くろぼしblack spot, black dot, bull's-eye

Words using this kanji

Related articles

• Color Kanji in Japanese: Red, Blue, White, Black & More

  The basic color kanji — 赤 青 白 黒 黄 — behave as both nouns and adjectives. Learn their readings and the adjective endings that trip learners up.