Japanese symbol for “blue”
青
あお
Romaji: ao
blue; azure
In Japanese, blue is 青, read あお (ao).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n blue; azure
- adj-no, n green
- n green light (traffic)
- n black (horse coat color)
- n blue 5-point card (hanaf)
- pref immature; unripe; young
Written forms: 青、蒼、碧. Readings: あお.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “blue”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 青い | あおい aoi | blue; azure |
| 青色 | あおいろ aoiro | blue |
| ブルー | ブルー buruu | blue |
| 大空 | おおぞら oozora | wide open sky; the blue; heavens |
| 重い | おもい omoi | heavy (feeling); depressed; gloomy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 青年 | せいねん seinen | youth; young man |
| 青春 | せいしゅん seishun | youth; adolescence; springtime of life |
| 青空 | あおぞら aozora | blue sky |
| 青い | あおい aoi | blue; azure |
| 青山 | せいざん seizan | lush mountain; green mountain |
| 青木 | あおき aoki | Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica); spotted laurel |
See also: Chinese symbol for “blue”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.