灰色(はいいろ)

はいいろ
noun, no-adjective
gray, grey
1. gray, grey, ashen
The color between black and white, like the color of ash.
空(そら)が灰色(はいいろ)で雨(あめ)が降(ふ)りそうだ。
The sky is gray and it looks like it will rain.
灰色(はいいろ)のスーツを着(き)ている。
He is wearing a gray suit.
冬(ふゆ)の海(うみ)は灰色(はいいろ)で、夏(なつ)とはまったく違(ちが)う景色(けしき)だった。
The winter sea was gray, a completely different scene from summer.
2. unclear, ambiguous
Figuratively, something that is neither black nor white, uncertain or suspect.
あの会社(かいしゃ)は灰色(はいいろ)の存在(そんざい)だ。
That company is a gray-area entity.
Figurative: suspicious but not proven
証拠(しょうこ)が不十分(ふじゅうぶん)で、容疑者(ようぎしゃ)は灰色(はいいろ)のままだ。
The evidence is insufficient, and the suspect remains in a gray area.
法律(ほうりつ)の灰色(はいいろ)地帯(ちたい)をうまく利用(りよう)する企業(きぎょう)もある。
Some companies skillfully exploit legal gray zones.
灰色(はいいろ)地帯(ちたい) = gray zone

USAGE: 灰色(はいいろ) literally means 'ash color.' It can describe actual gray things or figuratively refer to ambiguous, suspicious situations.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 灰色(はいいろ)の + noun (gray ~)
  • 灰色(はいいろ)っぽい (grayish)

FIGURATIVE USAGE:

  • 灰色(はいいろ)高官(こうかん) (gray official - suspected of corruption)
  • 灰色(はいいろ)地帯(ちたい) (gray zone - legal ambiguity)
  • 白(しろ)でも黒(くろ)でもない (neither white nor black)

RELATED COLORS:

general
Added 2026.1.14 9:58 · Revised 2026.5.31 3:11
04000/04303_haiiro