1.
skin color; complexion
the color of a person's skin
赤ちゃんの肌色は健康のサインだ。
A baby's skin color is a sign of health.
日焼けして肌色がだいぶ変わった。
My skin color changed quite a bit from the suntan.
肌色は人種や個人によって大きく異なるので、一つの色で表すことはできない。
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
肌色のストッキングを買った。
I bought flesh-colored stockings.
クレヨンの肌色は今「うすだいだい」に名前が変わった。
The crayon color 'hadairo' has now been renamed to 'light orange.'
肌色の絆創膏は目立たないように作られているが、実際にはすべての肌の色に合うわけではない。
Flesh-colored bandages are made to be inconspicuous, but in reality they don't match every skin tone.
Composed of 肌 (skin) + 色 (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:
- 肌色のストッキング: flesh-colored stockings
- 肌色の下着: flesh-colored underwear
- 肌色の絆創膏: flesh-colored bandage
- 肌色が良い: to have a healthy complexion
CULTURAL NOTE:
In 2000, major Japanese crayon and colored-pencil manufacturers renamed the color 肌色 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 remains in everyday use as a color descriptor.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 顔色: complexion, specifically of the face, often used to describe someone's health or emotional state
- 色白: fair-skinned (describes a person, not a color)