Japanese symbol for “white”
白
しろ
Romaji: shiro
white
In Japanese, white is 白, read しろ (shiro).
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 white
- n innocence; innocent person
- n blank space
- n white stone (go)
- n white dragon tile (mahj)
- n skewered grilled pig intestine (food)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “white”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 白い | しろい shiroi | white |
| 白色 | しろいろ shiroiro | white |
| ホワイト | ホワイト howaito | white |
| 白石 | しろいし shiroishi | white (go pieces) |
| ビアンコ | ビアンコ bianko | white (esp. wine, etc.) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 面白い | おもしろい omoshiroi | interesting; fascinating; intriguing |
| 白人 | はくじん hakujin | white person; Caucasian |
| 白い | しろい shiroi | white |
| 告白 | こくはく kokuhaku | confession (to a crime, wrongdoing, etc.); admission |
| 紅白 | こうはく kouhaku | red and white; colours for festive or auspicious occasions (colors) |
| 明白 | めいはく meihaku | obvious; clear; plain |
See also: Chinese symbol for “white”.
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.