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One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.
The kanji most commonly used for "Black" are 黒、玄、漆.
黒
black, evil
Also associated with foolish.
Onyomi: koku Kunyomi: kuro, kuro.i, kuro.zumu 11 strokes Jōyō
black, profound
Also associated with distant.
Onyomi: gen Kunyomi: kuro, kuro.i 5 strokes Jōyō
lacquer, seven, black
Onyomi: shitsu Kunyomi: urushi 14 strokes Jōyō
black, dark
Also associated with ignorant.
Onyomi: koku Kunyomi: kuro, kuro.i 12 strokes Jinmeiyō
ink, black
Also associated with calligraphy.
Onyomi: boku Kunyomi: sumi 14 strokes Jōyō
black, many, dawn
Onyomi: rei, ri Kunyomi: kuro.i 15 strokes Jinmeiyō
crow, black
Also associated with alas.
Onyomi: o, u Kunyomi: izuku.nzo, karasu, nanzo 10 strokes Jinmeiyō
黒 is black, plainly — 黒い (black), 黒板 (blackboard), 真っ黒 (pitch black) — and like the English word it also carries the shady sense: 黒幕 is the figure behind the scenes, 腹黒い is black-hearted. 黑 is the same character in its older pre-reform shape, kept on the name list; it is not a separate word.
The rest name particular blacks. 漆 is lacquer, and 漆黒 is the jet black of a lacquered surface, the strongest word for black in ordinary use. 墨 is ink black, the black of ground calligraphy ink. 玄 is blackness as depth and obscurity rather than as a color, and it appears in 玄米 (unpolished rice), 玄関 (entrance hall) and 玄人 (kurōto, an expert).
黎 is dark almost only inside 黎明, first light, the moment the darkness breaks. 烏 is a crow, and reaches black through the bird; it is the character in 烏龍茶, oolong tea.
黒 is the character to use — read instantly, needing no explanation, though it shares English black's association with the underhanded. 漆 alone reads as lacquer, 烏 as crow, and 玄 as mysterious rather than black. 黑 is the old form of 黒, not a different word.
What is Onyomi?
Onyomi, also known as the "Sino-Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is derived from the original Chinese pronunciation.
What is Kunyomi?
Kunyomi, also known as the "native Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is based on the native Japanese pronunciation. Kunyomi readings are often used when a kanji character stands alone or is followed by hiragana, as in verbs and adjectives. Mastering both kunyomi and onyomi is crucial for understanding and using kanji effectively in the Japanese language.
What is Radical?
A radical, also known as "bushu" in Japanese, is a fundamental component of kanji characters. Radicals are the building blocks of kanji and are used to categorize and organize them in dictionaries. There are 214 traditional radicals, each with its own meaning, which often provides a clue to the meaning of the kanji character it forms.
What is strokes?
Stroke count, or "kakusuu" in Japanese, refers to the number of individual brushstrokes required to write a kanji character. Each kanji has a specific stroke order and stroke count, which are essential for writing the character correctly and legibly. Understanding and following the correct stroke order not only ensures proper balance and aesthetics but also makes writing more efficient and fluid.