黒髪(くろかみ)

Composed of 黒(くろ) (black) + 髪(かみ) (hair). In Japanese culture, 黒髪(くろかみ) has traditionally been associated with beauty and elegance, especially in literature and poetry. The word carries more aesthetic weight than simply saying 黒(くろ)い髪(かみ) (black-colored hair).

Common collocations

• 美(うつく)しい黒髪(くろかみ): beautiful black hair
• 長(なが)い黒髪(くろかみ): long black hair
• 黒髪(くろかみ)ストレート: straight black hair
• 艶(つや)やかな黒髪(くろかみ): glossy black hair
• 黒髪(くろかみ)に戻(もど)す: to go back to black hair (after dyeing)

Cultural note

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, long, straight 黒髪(くろかみ) was considered the ideal of feminine beauty. This image persists in modern culture, though hair dyeing is now very common.

Similar words

• 白髪(しらが): gray hair, white hair — often a sign of aging
• 金髪(きんぱつ): blond hair — natural or dyed
• 茶髪(ちゃぱつ): brown-dyed hair — common among Japanese youth