Glossary of terms used in koi appreciation

Glossary of words used in the description and appreciation of Nishikigoi

PRONUNCIATION
A = ah as in pa, ma
E = eh as in lend
I = ee as in bee
O = oh as in oak, ditto
U = uu as in moo, boo
Ai = eye as in pie, kite
Ei = aye as in yeah or plate

Ai = indigo blue
Ai-no-Fuki =(eye no foo key) indigo crescents on hi plates
Ai – Sashi = (eye sa she) indigo sashi
Aka = (ah ka) general word meaning red
Beni = a stronger red colour
Doh hi = Hi on the body
Doh Zumi = Sumi on the body
Fukurin = (who coo reen) skin between scales creating a netting pattern
Gin = (geen) silver, metallic
Hanatsuki = Hi that reaches to the nose (demerit)
Hachiware =(ha chee wa reh) pattern on head that divides part black part white
Hi =(hee) red. Aka and Beni all mean red but there are subtle distinctions
Hi-moyo = red pattern as in kohaku
Ichimatsu = (ee chee math sue) chequered pattern
Inazuma = lightning strike pattern
Ipponhi = (ee pohn hee) one long Hi plate
Jyami = (Ja me) small sumi dots on varieties with Sumi (demerit)
Kage – (kah geh) shade or shadow
Kata Zumi = Sumi patch on shoulders
Ki = yellow
Kin = (keen) gold metallic
Kin Gin Rin = (keen geen deen) gold over red or silver over white or black
Kiwa = sharpness of all the edges of the pattern
Kokesuki = lighter area in the hi plate due to injury or scale loss (demerit)
Kuchibeni – lipstick
Kuchi Zumi = sumi on the mouth
Kuragake = saddle shape Hi or Sumi
Madoaki = window of shiroji in the hi plate (demerit)
Maki = wrap of the pattern below the lateral line desirable in kohaku or koi based on a kohaku pattern
Maezashi = same as sashi
Maruten = round red spot on the head accompanied by other patches of hi on the body
Matsuba = pine cone or netting pattern
Menkaburi = Hi extending over the eyes (demerit especially in kohaku)
Menware = same as Hachiware
Motoaka = Hi at the base of pectoral fins desirable in Shusui and Asagi only
Motoguro = (moh toe goo row) black at the base of pectoral fins
Moyo = pattern
Muji = solid colour
Nidan = two (usrd in description of kohaku patterns – two hi plates)
Odome = the line between the last colour and shiroji in the tail section
Odome Hi = red on the tail section
Odome Zumi = Sumi on the tail section
Sandan = three (three hi plates)
Sashi = the leading edge of the pattern (nearest the head) where the overlap of a white scale over a scale with strong colour causes a blurred effect
Sashi Zumi = where the black scale is underneath another scale causing a dark blur
Shimi – undesirable black spots on a koi with no sumi
Shiro = white
Shiroji = white ground or background
Sora = sky
Sumi = black
Tobihi = an unnecessary red scale not part of the pattern
Toh hi = red on the head
Tsubo = a critical area
Tsubo Zumi = critical sumi that balances the pattern
Ushirogiwa = the black edge
Yakko = Hi on asagi cheeks
Yondan = four as in four step kohaku

That's a good list! for those like me who don't know all the Japanese names very useful.

can you help me then any idea what this means



i am trying to find a symbol for koi carp as people want plaques saying that or something similar

from Mark Gardners research over in Japan the true Kanji symbols for Nishikigoi are

anubisram wrote:from Mark Gardners research over in Japan the true Kanji symbols for Nishikigoi are

thats great dose all 4 of them say that or just the last 2 which look like mine

the last two kanji mean Goi or Koi
Nishiki is the first two
the true japanese meaning of the kanji is "fish living near people wearing gold cloth" which is the japanese translation of Nishikigoi

anubisram wrote:the last two kanji mean Goi or Koi
Nishiki is the first two
the true japanese meaning of the kanji is "fish living near people wearing gold cloth" which is the japanese translation of Nishikigoi

thanks thats fantastic

What a guy!!

valleykoi wrote:What a guy!!

he s a great help m8