濃い

• Reading: こい
• Romaji: koi
• Kanji breakdown: 濃 (nou/ko) — thick, dense, concentrated
• Pronunciation: /ko.i/

Meaning

Thick; dense; strong; dark. Describes concentrated colour, flavour, or density.

An i-adjective used for colours (濃い青, dark blue), flavours (味が濃い, rich/strong taste), liquids (濃いコーヒー, strong coffee), and even relationships (濃い付き合い, close association). The opposite is 薄い (usui, thin/pale/weak). Conjugates regularly: 濃くない, 濃かった.

Examples

1. このスープは味が濃いのでお湯を足した。 This soup was too strong, so I added some hot water.
2. 彼女は濃い化粧をしていた。 She was wearing heavy makeup.
3. 今日は霧が濃くて前が見えない。 The fog is so thick today that I can't see ahead.

Usage Guide

Context: food, colour, weather

Tone: descriptive

Origin & History

The kanji 濃 combines 氵 (water radical) and 農 (nou, agriculture/thick). Originally described thick, fertile water or soil, expanding to mean any kind of density or concentration.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal