緑(みどり)

みどり

noun

green

color

1. green, greenery

The color green. Also refers to greenery, foliage, or verdure in nature.

緑(みどり)の木(き)がたくさんあります。

There are many green trees.

Using の to modify a noun

公園(こうえん)は緑(みどり)がいっぱいです。

The park is full of greenery.

Using the 'greenery' meaning

緑(みどり)の服(ふく)を着(き)ている人(ひと)です。

It's the person wearing green clothes.

緑(みどり)のペンを使(つか)ってください。

Please use a green pen.

窓(まど)から見(み)える緑(みどり)がとても気持(きも)ちいいです。

The greenery visible from the window is very pleasant.

緑(みどり) is a noun used both for the color green and for greenery/nature. As a noun, it modifies other nouns with の: 緑(みどり)の木(き) (green trees).

COLOR VS. GREENERY:

緑(みどり)のペン: a green pen (color)
緑(みどり)が多(おお)い: lots of greenery (nature)
緑(みどり)豊(ゆた)かな: rich in greenery

Cultural note

In traditional Japanese, 青(あお) (blue) covered both blue and green. Even today, green traffic lights and green vegetables are called 青(あお): 青(あお)信号(しんごう) (green light), 青(あお)野菜(やさい) (green vegetables). 緑(みどり) as a distinct color word became more common with Western influence.

Compounds

緑茶(りょくちゃ): green tea
緑地(りょくち): green space
新緑(しんりょく): fresh green leaves (of spring)

Related Words

Related: 青(あお) (blue — traditionally also covered green (green traffic lights, green vegetables))

Related: 緑色(みどりいろ) (the color green, when the color sense needs to be explicit)

Related: 色(いろ) (color)

Compare: 青(あお)い (blue, green)

Compare: 草木(くさき) (plants, vegetation)

Compare: 草木(そうもく) (plants)

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:38 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29

00500/00970_midori