Meaning
白 means white — snow, blank paper, clouds on a clear morning. Simple enough as a color. But in Japanese, the word does more work than that. 白 also captures blankness, purity, innocence, and even confession. The compound 自白 (じはく) means to confess — literally "to make oneself white," to come clean.
Most scholars trace 白 back to a pictograph of a candle flame. The topmost stroke represents the flame's pointed tip; the lower strokes form the body of the candle radiating white light. A competing theory reads it as an acorn, tip and all. Either way, the character reached its current five-stroke form long before modern Japanese took shape.
Five strokes. Almost nothing. A character meaning "white" and "blank" is itself nearly empty — a detail that tends to stick with learners. 白 is Grade 1, taught to first-year elementary school children alongside 山 and 川. It also serves as its own radical (部首, ぶしゅ), appearing inside 的 (まと, target/of), 皆 (みな, everyone), and 百 (ひゃく, one hundred).
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
白 has two on'yomi readings, used mainly in compound words (熟語, じゅくご).
ハク — The everyday on'yomi. Appears widely in vocabulary related to color, clarity, and formal or written contexts.
- 白紙 (hakushi) — blank paper; a clean slate
- 白衣 (hakui) — white robe; a doctor's coat
- 告白 (kokuhaku) — confession (of love or wrongdoing)
- 明白 (meihaku) — obvious; unmistakable
- 紅白 (kouhaku) — red and white; Japan's festive color pairing (as in NHK's annual 紅白歌合戦)
ビャク — Rare in modern Japanese. Found mainly in classical literature and a small number of fixed expressions.
- 白夜 (byakuya) — white night; the midnight sun phenomenon
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi are native Japanese words written with 白. They appear when the character stands alone or combines with other native-Japanese words.
しろ — The standalone noun for "white," and a prefix in native compound words.
- 白 (shiro) — white (the color, used as a noun)
- 白ご飯 (shiro gohan) — plain white rice
- 白旗 (shirohata) — white flag; surrender
しろい (しろ.い) — The i-adjective form: "white" or "light-colored."
- 白い雪 (shiroi yuki) — white snow
- 白いシャツ (shiroi shatsu) — a white shirt
しら — A bound prefix used before certain native words. It often carries a nuance of blankness, feigned ignorance, or something unsettled.
- 白髪 (shiraga) — white or gray hair
- 白々しい (shirajirashii) — brazenly obvious; unconvincingly feigned
- 白鳥 (shiratóri) — swan (archaic/poetic; modern usage prefers 白鳥)
Common Words & Compounds
白 turns up across everyday vocabulary. Here are key compounds grouped by theme.
Colors and Appearance
- 白色 (hakushoku) — the color white
- 白黒 (shirokuro) — black and white; right and wrong
- 真っ白 (masshiro) — pure white; completely blank
- 白髪 (shiraga) — white or gray hair
Communication and Clarity
- 告白 (kokuhaku) — confession; declaration of love
- 自白 (jihaku) — self-confession; admission of guilt
- 明白 (meihaku) — clear; obvious; unmistakable
- 白状 (hakujou) — confession; coming clean
Nature and Daily Life
- 白雪 (shirayuki) — white snow (literary/poetic)
- 白鳥 (hakuchou) — swan
- 白米 (hakumai) — polished white rice
- 白紙 (hakushi) — blank paper; fresh start
Food and Culture
- 白ワイン (shiro wain) — white wine
- 白菜 (hakusai) — napa cabbage (literally "white vegetable")
- 紅白 (kouhaku) — red and white; Japan's iconic festive color pairing
Example Sentences
この猫は白いです。
Kono neko wa shiroi desu.
This cat is white.
白いシャツを着ています。
Shiroi shatsu wo kite imasu.
I am wearing a white shirt.
空に白い雲が浮かんでいます。
Sora ni shiroi kumo ga ukande imasu.
White clouds are floating in the sky.
彼は告白する勇気がありませんでした。
Kare wa kokuhaku suru yuuki ga arimasen deshita.
He did not have the courage to confess his feelings.
黒板に白いチョークで書きました。
Kokuban ni shiroi chooku de kakimashita.
I wrote on the blackboard with white chalk.
白菜は鍋によく使われます。
Hakusai wa nabe ni yoku tsukawaremasu.
Napa cabbage is often used in hot pot dishes.
その事実は明白です。
Sono jijitsu wa meihaku desu.
That fact is obvious.
彼女の白髪がとても美しいです。
Kanojo no shiraga ga totemo utsukushii desu.
Her white hair is very beautiful.
犯人はついに自白しました。
Han'nin wa tsui ni jihaku shimashita.
The culprit finally confessed.
Related Kanji
- 目 — Eye (Kanji N5)
- 手 — Hand (Kanji N5)
- 生 — Life, Birth, Raw (Kanji N5)
- 下 — Below, Down (Kanji N5)
- 気 — Spirit, Energy, Air (Kanji N5)
- 百 — Hundred (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Picture a white candle flame. The top stroke of 白 is the pointed tip of the flame; the lower strokes form the glowing body beneath it. Think: "A white flame burns at the top." Alternatively, notice how 白 looks almost exactly like 百 (ひゃく, one hundred) — minus the bottom stroke. Imagine that final line was erased, leaving the page blank and white.
For Vietnamese learners: the Hán-Việt reading BẠCH connects to familiar words. Bạch tuộc (octopus) and the poet's name Lý Bạch (Li Bai) both carry this root — tied to the idea of whiteness or purity. That link tends to make the reading stick.