藍 — “Indigo” in Japanese

Master (高手)らん, あい

Radical ⾋ · radical 140 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Indigo” in Japanese is 藍, read ran, ai (らん, あい). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 藍色 (indigo).

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What does 藍 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	藍
Meaning	Indigo
Readings	らん, あい
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	藍色 (indigo)

How to read 藍

藍 is read ran (らん) or ai (あい) depending on the word.

Words with 藍

藍色

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Kanji read the same way as 藍

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28