Haiiro (灰色),Gurē(グレー),Nezumiiro(ねずみ色)
Meaning: Gray
Romaji: Haiiro,Gurē,Nezumiiro
Hiragana:はいいろ、ぐれー、ねずみいろ
Katakana:ハイイロ、グレー、ネズミイロ
Kanji:灰色、鼠色(ねずみ色)
In Japanese, Gray is called Gurē or Haiiro. We use both terms equally, but we tend to say Gurē more these days.
In the case of Gurē, hiragana is also written, but only katakana is used. Conversely, we use only kanji for Haiiro.
Also, gray is called Nezumiiro. Nezumi means mouse, and it means the color of a mouse.
・グレーな日々を送る
Gurēna hibiwo okuru
“I spend my days feeling depressed.”
Gurē can also be used to mean hopeless, dark, and lifeless.
・このビジネスはグレーだから気をつけたほうがいい！
Kono businesswa gurēdakara kiwotsuketahouga ii!
“This business is legally gray so be careful!”
Gurē is often used when something is technically not illegal but morally wrong. For example, gurē na business is often used when talking about business.
