肌色(はだいろ)

はだいろ
noun
skin color; flesh color; beige
colorbody-part
1. skin color; complexion
the color of a person's skin
赤(あか)ちゃんの肌色(はだいろ)は健康(けんこう)のサインだ。
A baby's skin color is a sign of health.
日焼(ひや)けして肌色(はだいろ)がだいぶ変(か)わった。
My skin color changed quite a bit from the suntan.
肌色(はだいろ)は人種(じんしゅ)や個人(こじん)によって大(おお)きく異(こと)なるので、一(ひと)つの色(いろ)で表(あらわ)すことはできない。
Skin color varies greatly depending on race and individual, so it cannot be represented by a single color.
2. flesh color; beige; peach
a light yellowish-pink color traditionally associated with pale skin, used as a color name for crayons, paints, and clothing
肌色(はだいろ)のストッキングを買(か)った。
I bought flesh-colored stockings.
クレヨンの肌色(はだいろ)は今(いま)「うすだいだい」に名前(なまえ)が変(か)わった。
The crayon color 'hadairo' has now been renamed to 'light orange.'
肌色(はだいろ)の絆創膏(ばんそうこう)は目立(めだ)たないように作(つく)られているが、実際(じっさい)にはすべての肌(はだ)の色(いろ)に合(あ)うわけではない。
Flesh-colored bandages are made to be inconspicuous, but in reality they don't match every skin tone.

Composed of 肌(はだ) (skin) + 色(いろ) (color). In sense 1, it refers to the actual color of someone's skin. In sense 2, it refers to a specific light beige-pink color traditionally used in Japan as a standard "skin color" for products like crayons and bandages.

Common collocations

Cultural note

In 2000, major Japanese crayon and colored-pencil manufacturers renamed the color 肌色(はだいろ) to うすだいだい (light orange) or ペールオレンジ (pale orange), reflecting growing awareness that there is no single "skin color." Despite the renaming, the word 肌色(はだいろ) remains in everyday use as a color descriptor.

Similar words

  • 顔色(かおいろ): complexion, specifically of the face, often used to describe someone's health or emotional state
  • 色白(いろじろ): fair-skinned (describes a person, not a color)

Related Words

Compare: 顔色(かおいろ) (complexion, specifically of the face…)
Compare: 血色(けっしょく) (complexion)
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Added 2026.5.1 0:19 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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