Japanese word

真っ青

Pronunciation

Romajimassao

Meaning

  • na-adjectivebright blue

Example

空は真っ青です。sora wa ma ssao de su

The sky is bright blue.

Illustration for 真っ青 (bright blue)

More examples

深い湖の水が真っ青に見えます。fuka i mizuumi no mizu ga ma ssao ni mi e ma su

The water in the deep lake looks bright blue.

Core concept

Shows blue in an extreme form, either as a strikingly deep color or as the pale, bluish look caused by fear or shock.

Common phrases

  • 真っ青な海ma ssao na umi

    bright blue sea

  • 真っ青な空ma ssao na sora

    bright blue sky

  • 真っ青な水ma ssao na mizu

    bright blue water

Definition in Japanese

空や物が極めて鮮やかな青色であるさま、また、恐怖や驚きなどで顔色が青白く見えるさま。sora ya mono ga kiwa me te aza ya ka na ao iro de a ru sa ma ma ta kyō fu ya odoro ki na do de kao iro ga ao jiro ku mi e ru sa ma

Word origin

真っ青 (massao) is formed from 真っ (ma, "completely or intensely") and 青 (ao, "blue"), with 真っ adding emphasis to the color.

Usage tips

  • The same emphatic pattern occurs in 真っ赤 (makka, "bright red") and 真っ白 (masshiro, "pure white"), which helps place 真っ青 (massao) in a wider group of color expressions.

Other meanings

  • deep bluena-adjective
  • palena-adjective

Related words

  • 真っ青さmassaosabluenessnoun

Word lists with this word