| The Japanese speech is modulated more by pitch than stress (as it is in English), with very few exceptions (such as the n consonant), syllables end with a vowel. Mostly, all syllables are short, that is why the Japanese language seems to have a staccato rhythm to English-speaking people. Below, a bold syllable means pitch/stress, not length. Sounds: ah as in bat, eh as in bet, ih as in bit, ing as in king, oh as in dot, oo as in moon (but short), oy as in joy. |
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Term |
Pronunciation |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ai | ah·ih | Pale blue |
| Aka | ah·kah | Red |
| Akame | ah·kah·meh | Red-eyed |
| Ato Sumi | ah·toh·soo·mih | Sumi that comes when the koi ages |
| Bekko | beh·k·koh | Turtle |
| Beni | beh·nih | Scarlet (red) |
| Bu | boo | Size |
| Budo | boo·doh | Grape, purple |
| Dan | dahn | Step |
| Doitsu | doh·ih·tsoo | doh·ihts | German (referring to the somewhat scale-less food carp originally imported from Germany) The first pronunciation is for the word by itself, the second in combinations such as Doitsu Kohaku |
| Fuji | foo·jih | Metallic luster with tiny bubbles |
| Fukurin | foo·koo·rihn | Margin; combination of skin and scale when a) the middle layer skin grows from under a scale to partially cover an adjacent scale, or b) when the upper-layer skin of a scale grows to partially cover an adjacent scale |
| Gin | gihn | Silver |
| Go | goh | Five |
| Goi | goh·ee | Carp, suffix as in Kawarigoi (also see Koi) |
| Goromo | goh·roh·moh | Robed, suffix as in Ai-goromo |
| Hachiware | hah·chih·wah·reh | V-shaped sumi marking behind the head |
| Hana | hah·nah | Flower |
| Hanatsuki | hah·nah·tsoo·kih | Hi pattern reaching the mouth |
| Hanzome Kiwa | hahn·zoh·meh·kih·wah | Pattern edge only covering scales partially |
| Heisei | hay·say | Heisei era of Japan (1989-present) |
| Hi | hih | Fire, red |
| Hikari | hkah·ree | Shiny (metallic luster) |
| Hyousou Shimpi | hyoo·soo·shihm·pih | Upper layer of the skin |
| Ichi | ih·chee | One |
| Inazuma | ih·nah·zoo·mah | Lightning (strike) |
| Ippon Hi | ih·pohn·hih | Solid red from nose to tail without a break |
| Kage | kah·geh | Shadow; reticulated shadowing sumi |
| Kamisori Kiwa | kah·mih·soh·rih·key·wah | Pattern edge only covering scales partially |
| Kanoko | kah·noh·koh | Dappled; hi pattern only partially covering the scales |
| Karasu | kah·rah·soo | Crow; black koi with white/orange belly |
| Kasane Sumi | kah·sah·neh·soo·mih | Sumi on hi background |
| Kata | kah·tah | Shoulder |
| Kata Sumi | hah·tah·soo·mih | Sumi on shoulder |
| Kawagoi | Khah·wah·goy | River carp (wild) |
| Kawarigoi | khah·wah·rih·goy | Unusual carp |
| Kawarimono | Khah·wah·rih·moh·noh | Unusual ones (group), see Koi Classification |
| Ki | kih | Yellow |
| Kin | king | Gold, golden |
| Kindai | kihn·die | Modern, recent |
| Kiwa | kih·wah | Edge (of pattern) at the rear end of hi |
| Koi | Koy | Carp, noun (also see Goi) |
| Konjo | kohn·joh | Deep blue |
| Konzai Kiwa | kohn·zie·kih·wah | Mixture of Kamizori Kiwa and Maruzome Kiwa |
| Koromo | Koh·roh·moh | Robe (also see Goromo), see Koi Classification |
| Kuchibeni | Koo·chih·beh·nih | Lipstick |
| Kujaku | koo·jah·koo | Peacock |
| Magoi | mah·goy | Feral (wild) carp |
| Maruten | Mah·roo·tuhn | Round spot |
| Matsuba | Mat·tsoo·bah | Pine[cone] |
| Menkaburi | mehn·kah·boo·rih | Red head |
| Menware | mehn·wah·reh | Sumi diagonal marking from head to nose |
| Mono | Moh·noh | Thing, one (of a group) |
| Motoguro | Moh·toh·goo·roh | Solid black in the base of the pectoral fin |
| Moyo | Moh·yoh | Pattern |
| Nanshitsu Shimpi | nahn·shih·tsoo·shihm·pih | Middle layer of the skin |
| Narumi | Nah·ruh·mih | Town in Ichi Prefecture where a tie-dyed fabric with dark blue center and pale blue edge is made |
| Nezu | Neh·zoo | Mouse (gray) |
| Ni | nih | Two |
| Nibani | nih·bah·nih | Unstable secondary red |
| Odome | oh·doh·meh | Pattern stop in the tail tube region |
| Ojime | oh·jih·meh | Pattern stop in the tail tube region |
| Orenji | Oh·rehn·jih | Orange |
| Purachina | Puh·rah·chih·nah | Platinum |
| Rin | ding | Scale |
| Sakura | sah·koo·rah | Cherry blossom |
| San | sahn | Three |
| Sanshoku | sahn·shoh·koo | Three-color |
| Sashi | sah·shih | Overlap of red and white scales on the forward edge of hi patterns |
| Shimi | shih·mih | Stain, spot; unwanted/undesirable sumi speck/freckles |
| Shimpi | shihm·pih | Skin |
| Showa | sho·wah | Showa Era of Japan (1926-1989) |
| Shusui | shoo·soo·ih | Autumn water |
| Sumi | soo·mih | India ink (black) |
| Taisho | tah·ih·shoh | Taisho Era of Japan (1912-1926) |
| Tategoi | tah·teh·goy | Unfinished koi that is expected to improve |
| Teri | teh·rih | Luster |
| Tora | toh·rah | Tiger |
| Tsubo Sumi | tsoo·boh·soo·mih | Sumi on shiro background |
| Utsuri | oo·tsoo·rih | Reflection |
| Wagoi | wah·goy | Scaled carp |
| Yamabuki | yah·mah·boo·kih | Japanese yellow flower |
| Yon | yohn | Four |
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