Meaning and Usage
The adjective 白い (しろい) means "white" and is used to describe objects, animals, or substances that have the color white. It is a common and basic i-adjective in Japanese.
Common Collocations
- 白いシャツ (white shirt): describing clothing
- 白い雪 (white snow): natural phenomena
- 白い犬 (white dog): animals
Usage Notes
白い is used as a straightforward color adjective and can be combined with nouns to describe their color. It is often used in everyday conversation and writing. When using 白い, remember it is an i-adjective, so it conjugates accordingly (e.g., 白くない for negative).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 白い with 白 (しろ) which is a noun meaning "white" or "white color." 白い is the adjective form and should be used when directly describing something's color.