白

音読おんよみ: ハク・ビャク

訓読くんよみ: しろ・しら・しろ

画数かくすう: 5

部首ぶしゅ: 白(しろ)

Meaning

White / Clear / Confess

  • しろ — white (noun)
  • しろい — white (adjective)
  • 告白こくはく — confession
  • 明白めいはく — clear; obvious
  • 白紙はくし — blank paper; figuratively, a clean slate
  • 白夜びゃくや — white night (midnight sun)

Originally a pictograph of a head/skull, “白” came to mean “pure” or “white.” It’s central in describing color, seasons (e.g. 白夜), and honesty. In Japanese, it’s also used metaphorically for innocence, clarity, or truth-telling.

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