Translation and Meaning of: 青 - ao

If you've studied Japanese, you've probably encountered the word 青[あお] and felt confused about its meaning. After all, it can be translated as both "blue" and "green" in certain contexts. In this article, we will explore the etymology, everyday use in Japanese, and even tips for memorizing this versatile kanji. Additionally, you will discover how this color is present in popular expressions and even in unexpected situations, such as traffic lights and fruits.

Suki Nihongo, the largest online Japanese dictionary, offers not only the translation but also the historical origin of this word and practical examples for you to study in Anki or another spaced repetition system. If you have ever wondered why the Japanese call green apples 青りんご (ao ringo), keep reading—the answer might surprise you.

The origin and evolution of the kanji 青

The ideogram 青 has a fascinating history. Originally, in ancient China, it represented the color of the sky at dawn, a shade between blue and green. Its pictogram is composed of 生 (life, growth) over 丹 (red, mineral), suggesting something that sprouts from the earth—like young plants, which have this hue. It is no wonder that even today, fresh vegetables are called 青菜 (aona).

In Japan, the distinction between blue and green only solidified during the Meiji period (1868-1912), with Western influence. Before that, 青 encompassed the entire range of colors between cyan and emerald. This ambiguity persists in expressions like 青信号 (ao shingou), where the "green" of the traffic light is referred to as blue. A curiosity? Until the 1930s, Japanese traffic lights themselves used bluer shades to avoid confusion with red.

Everyday use and cultural curiosities

Visitors to Japan may be surprised to hear 青いバナナ (aoi banana) referring to still green bananas. This usage goes beyond botany—it reflects a cultural perspective where 青 symbolizes immaturity or inexperience. In traditional music, there is even a term called 青二才 (aonisai), which mocks overly "green" youths. On the other hand, in positive contexts, the color represents freshness and vitality, as in 青々とした (aoao to shita), used to describe lush fields.

Another intriguing use appears in medicine. When the Japanese say 顔が青い (kao ga aoi), literally "blue face", they are describing someone pale—not necessarily with Smurf tones. This expression shows how color is associated with physical and emotional states. In the corporate world, 青写真 (aoshashin), or "blueprint", means plan or project, referring to the old architectural diagrams made on blueprint paper.

Tips for memorization and common mistakes

An effective way to remember 青 is to associate it with natural elements. Think of "BLUE sea" (even though the Japanese sea is usually called 海) or "BLUE sky in summer." A common mistake among students is to translate 青い目 (aoi me) as "green eyes," when it actually means "blue eyes"—unless the context indicates something different, like in mangas where characters have fantastic colors.

To practice, try creating flashcards with ambiguous images: a green apple, a traffic light, the sky. This helps the brain assimilate the flexibility of the term. And be careful: in compounds like 青春 (seishun, "youth"), the kanji does not refer to color, but to the idea of vigor. These exceptions are important to avoid falling into literal translation traps.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 青色 (Aoiro) - Blue color
• 蒼 (So) - Dark blue or pale blue
• 青い (Aoi) - adjective that means "blue"
• 青みがかった (Aomi ga katta) - With a blue tone
• 青紫色 (Aomurasaki-iro) - Blue-purple color
• 青緑色 (Aomidori-iro) - Blue-green color
• 青空 (Aozora) - blue sky
• 青海 (Aoumi) - Blue sea
• 青竹 (Aotake) - Blue-green bamboo
• 青葉 (Aoba) - Green leaves
• 青春 (Seishun) - Youth (literally "blue spring")
• 青年 (Seinen) - Young man, referring to a young male.
• 青森県 (Aomori-ken) - Aomori City Hall
• 青島 (Aoshima) - Blue Island (or an island with that name)
• 青山 (Aoyama) - Blue mountain
• 青木 (Aoki) - Blue wood or a surname
• 青銅色 (Seido-iro) - Blue bronze color
• 青柳 (Aoyagi) - Blue willow
• 青梅 (Aoume) - A bluish-green plum
• 青果 (Seika) - Fresh fruits and vegetables (referring to the color blue in relation to freshness)
• 青雲 (Seiun) - Blue Clouds (or Young Ambition)
• 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko) - Aozora Digital Library

青

Romaji: ao
Kana: あお
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: blue; green; green light

Meaning in English: blue;green;green light

Definition: Blue: Blue color. The color of the sky, the sea, etc.

Example Sentences - (青) ao

See below some example sentences:

青白い肌が美しいです。

Aojiroi hada ga utsukushii desu

Pale skin is beautiful.

Pale skin is beautiful.

• 青白い (aojirai) - pale, whitish
• 肌 (hada) - pele
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 美しい (utsukushii) - pretty, beautiful
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

隣の芝生は青く見える。

Tonari no shibafu wa aoku mieru

The grass on the side looks blue.

• 隣の - adjective meaning "neighbor"
• 芝生 - noun meaning "lawn"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 青く - adverb meaning "blue"
• 見える - verb meaning "to appear" or "to appear"

青い空が好きです。

Aoi sora ga suki desu

I like the blue sky.

• 青い (aoi) - Adjective that means "blue"
• 空 (sora) - noun meaning "heaven"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 好き (suki) - The adjective that means "to like" is "gostoso" or "agradável."
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of the sentence

青空が好きです。

Aozora ga suki desu

I like the blue sky.

• 青空 - "aozora" means "blue sky"
• が - Grammatical particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 好き - "suki" means "to like"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• . - punctuation mark indicating the end of the sentence

青年は未来の希望です。

Seinen wa mirai no kibou desu

Young people are the hope for the future.

Youth is the future hope.

• 青年 (seinen) - means "young" or "youth"
• は (wa) - a grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "young person"
• 未来 (mirai) - means "future"
• の (no) - grammatical particle that indicates possession, in this case, "of the future"
• 希望 (kibou) - means "hope" or "expectation"
• です (desu) - the verb "to be" in the polite and formal form

私のパンツは青いです。

Watashi no pantsu wa aoi desu

My panties are blue.

My pants are blue.

• 私 (watashi) - The personal pronoun that means "I" in Japanese.
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, equivalent to "de" in English
• パンツ (pantsu) - a word borrowed from English that means "pants" or "underwear" in Japanese
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, equivalent to "about" in Portuguese
• 青い (aoi) - adjective meaning "blue" in Japanese
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of speech, equivalent to "ser" or "estar" in Portuguese

私のズボンは青色です。

Watashi no zubon wa aoiro desu

My pants are blue.

My pants are blue.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case "mine"
• ズボン (zubon) - noun meaning "trousers"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "pants"
• 青色 (aoiro) - noun meaning "blue color"
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

空が青いです。

Sora ga aoi desu

The sky is blue.

• 空 (sora) - means "sky" in Japanese
• が (ga) - Subject particle in Japanese.
• 青い (aoi) - adjective meaning "blue" in Japanese
• です (desu) - verb "to be" in Japanese, used to indicate state or condition