In today’s vocabulary lesson you will learn 4 ways to say “shadow” in Japanese. There are different Japanese words you use when talking about the shape of a person’s shadow, a shadow cast by sunlight, and shading techniques in art. Let’s start with “kage” the most common word for “shadow” in Japanese.
Kage (影, 陰) is the most commonly used Japanese word for “shadow”. When written as 陰 (kage) it refers to a dark part that is blocked from light and translates as “shadow” or “shade”. However, when written as 影 (kage) it refers to the image or the shape of the shadow that is cast on a surface.
Keep reading to learn about the other Japanese words for “shadow“. I will tell you exactly when you should use which word. After that, you will get to know a couple of related expressions such as how to say “dark shadow“, “black shadow“, and “shadow of death” in Japanese. Naruto fans will also get to know what the word “hokage” really means.
How to Say “Shadow” in Japanese
- kage – 影
- hikage – 日陰
- inei – 陰影
- shadoo – シャドー
1. Kage – Most Common Way to Say “Shadow” in Japanese
The most common way to say “shadow” or “shadows” in Japanese is the word kage (影, 陰). In kanji, it can be either written as 影 or 陰, and the word’s exact meaning and translation change depending on which one you choose.
When written in kanji as 影, the word kage means “shadow“, “silhouette“, “figure“, or “shape“, but it can also be translated as “reflection” or “trace”. When you want to talk about your own shadow or another person’s shadow cast on the floor, this is the word you should use.
kage
影
shadow
silhouette
figure, shape
When written as 陰, on the other hand, the word kage rather translates as “shade” than “shadow“. It is used to refer to a darker part of a body, an object, or the floor that is blocked from light by another object.
kage
陰
shade
shadow
2. Hikage – Means “Shade” or “(Sun) Shadow”
Hikage (日陰) means “shade” or “shadow” in Japanese. You should use this word when you want to talk about the darker and cooler area under or next to a tree and other objects where sunlight doesn’t reach. It literally consists of the Japanese word and kanji for sun and the kanji for shadow or shade.
hikage
日陰
shade
shadow
literal: sun shadow
3. Inei – Translates as “Shadow” or “Shading”
Another Japanese word for “shadow” is inei (陰影). It is often used when referring to shading techniques or shadows in drawings. It’s kinda similar to the English expressions “light and shadow” or “(theory of) light and shade” and the best word when you want to talk about drawings and their shading.
inei
陰影
shading
shadow
4. Shadoo – English Loanword Meaning “Shadow”
Especially in names and titles, you might see the word shadoo (シャドー) used to say “shadow” in Japanese. It is a loanword and derived from the English word “shadow“. In everyday life, you will probably most often encounter it in Japanese anime as part of the name of a special attack or superpower.
shadoo
シャドー
shadow
There are two common ways how you can write it in katakana: シャドー (shadoo) and シャドウ (shadou).
shadou
シャドウ
shadow
(alternative form)
How to Say “Dark Shadow” in Japanese
Kurai kage (暗い影) means “dark shadow” in Japanese. The first word kurai (暗い) is an i-adjective that means “dark“, “gloomy“, or “hopeless“. Just like in English, you can put the adjective in front of a noun to say “dark (noun)” in Japanese.
kurai kage
暗い影
dark shadow
You could also say daaku shadoo (ダークシャドウ) instead of kurai kage (暗い影) if you want to sound a bit funky or are in need of a cool Japanese name for a special attack. This also happens to be the Japanese title of the movie “Dark Shadows” by the way (source).
How to Say “Black Shadow” in Japanese
The expression or phrase “black shadow” is kuroi kage (黒い影) in Japanese. The Japanese word for black is kuroi (黒い) and since it is an i-adjective it can just be put in front of the Japanese word for shadow, which is kage (影) to say “black shadow“.
kuroi kage
黒い影
black shadow
Since the word kuroi (黒い) can also mean dark, it could also be translated as “dark shadow“.
And you could also use the imported word burakku (ブラック) instead of the native Japanese word for black.
burakku kage
ブラック影
black shadowburakku shadou
ブラックシャドウ
black shadow
The Japanese Word for “Shadow of Death”
Shisou (死相) is the Japanese word for “shadow of death“. It consists of the word for death, which is shi (死), and the word sou (相), which can be translated as “look” or “appearance“. In contrast to the English expression, it doesn’t include the Japanese word for shadow, which would be kage (影).
shisou
死相
shadow of death
look of death
What Does “Hokage” Mean? (Anime Naruto)
The word hokage (火影) literally translates as “fire shadow“, but is used in the anime Naruto to refer to the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, who is called “(the) Hokage“. It also means “firelight” and is used to refer to the shadows or forms that are caused by the light of a fire in a fireplace.
hokage
火影
literal meaning: fire shadow
(the) Hokage (leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto)
firelight, shadows or form caused by the light of a fire