ai = indigo; blue color;
Aka = is red (as a base color over the body); red the whole fish;
Aka Hajiro = a red koi with white tips to the pectoral and caudal fins;
Akamuji = light red koi;
Akame = an eye with a red iris. Most often seen in Kigoi;
ake nisai = early two year olds;
Ami = net;
Ato = late-appearing (i.e. referring to sumi; ato sumi);

 
bekko = Black & White;
beni = dark red; orange-red (as a base color over the body); describes deep solid red;
Beta-gin = probably the finest type of Kinginrin, where the whole surface of each scale sparkles;
Boke = undeveloped Showa sumi;
Bozu = the Japanese word for priest. It is customary for a Japanese priest to have his or her head shaven, thus the
             word "bozu" is used to describe a koi that has no pattern on the head; No "hi" on the head, bald head;
Bu = size division;
Budo = arrangement of coloured scales resembling a bunch of grapes;
Bunka Sanke = a blue Sanke with shiny pectoral fins, seen only as a baby koi;

 
Cha = brown;
cigyo = unsorted fry;
chupa = medium quality fish;

 
Dagoi = poor quality fish;
Dainichi = famous Go-Sanke lineage of koi;
Dangara = a stepped pattern on the body of a koi, also known as Danmoyo;
Danmoyo = step pattern;
doitsu = German scale-less or mirror carp; a fish without scales or very few or scales in a pattern on the koi;

 
Flowery Kohaku = many, small areas of hi. No recognizable step pattern;
Fucarin = the area of skin around the smaller scales of good metallic koi. The smaller the scales, the greater the lustre;
Fuji = the almost metallic finish on the head of some young non metallic koi;
Fukurin = mesh pattern or reticulated effect (vignette) involving scales and skin;

 
Gin = silver (metallic); silver (white metallic);
Gin Kabuto = a black koi whose scales have silver edges. Now rejected as a poor Ogon;
Ginbo = a black koi with a silver metallic sheen. Now considered valueless;
Ginrin = the more commonly used term for Kinginrin, referring to sparkling scale types; diamond scales;
Ginsui = a metallic Shusui with a silver lustre;
Go bu = size five;
Godan = five step pattern;
Goi = fish;
Gosanke = a Japanese term used to collectively describe the "Big Three" (i.e. Kohaku, Sanke and Showa);
Goshiki = a five coloured koi,on which white, red, black, and light and dark blue are mixed to give a purplish
                appearance. Scale reticulation on the red and white, or on the white only;
Goten-zakura = cherry pattern;

 
Hachiware = lightning stripe head pattern;
Hada = sheen;
Hageru = no blurring on the head (relates to metallic varieties particularly);
Hageshiro = a black koi with white on the head and on the tail and pectoral fin tips;
Hajiro = a black koi with white on the tail and pectoral fin tips;
Hanatsuki = head hi extends down the nose;
Hanazumi = a black pattern (or spot) around the mouth and nose area;
Hariwake = koi with two colours, one of which is platinum, the other metallic orange or yellow, double metallic cross breeding;
Hi = red markings on the body of the koi; fire or red; red only in patches; General term for red;
hiban = red pattern; red surface; red pattern element or red area;
Hi Asagi = an Asagi whose red marking extends over the lateral line;
Hi Showa = a predominantly red Showa;
Hi Shusui = a shusui whose red pattern spreads up from the belly and covers the back;
Higoi = red koi, usually called Akamuji (light red) or Benigoi (deep red);
Hikari = metallic;
Hikarimono = shining ones, the metallic groups;
Hikarimoyo = multicoloured 'white-based' metallic koi;
Hikari-moyomono = a classification including all metallic koi with two or more colours, except metallic Utsuri and Showa;
Hikarimuji = single-coloured metallic koi, with or without scale reticulation;
Hiroshima Kinginrin = Kin Gin Rin as 'cracked glass' or diamond gin rin. Scales have bright lines running across them;
hon sumi = the original sumi, reffering to the black markings on a Koromo Sanke;

 
Ichi bu = size one;
Ichimatsumoyo = "checkerboard pattern" of alternating color;
Inazuma = lighting-stripe pattern (zig-zag);
Ippon hi = straight hi, renzokumoyo, continuous from head to tail;
Iro = colour;
Iromono = the collective name for all metallic koi;

 
Kabuto = helmet i.e. Kin or Gin Kabuto, the metallic sheen on the head of a black koi;
Kado = edge;
Kado Gin = a form of Kinginrin where only the edges of the scales are iridescent;
Kagamigoi = mirror carp;
Kage = literally, 'shadow' or 'phantom', referring to koi with a blurred, reticulated black pattern over the white or red;
Kanoko = literally, 'fawn', referring to the dappled hi, appearing on single scales; dappled;
karasu = black the whole fish; black (as a base color. Literally means 'Crow');
karasugoi (Karasu) = A koi that is entirely black when viewed from the top. (It can have a white, gold, red, orange
                                    or yellow belly.) Usually a fully scaled koi.
Kasane sumi = sumi that appears on the hi, opposed to tsubo sumi, which appears on the white skin;
Katamoyo = a pattern on only one side of the body;
Kawagoi = leather carp;
Kawarigoi = strange koi;
Ki = yellow;
Kigoi = a yellow koi; often with red eyes (albino line);
Ki Kokuryu = metallic Kumonryu;
Kikusui = the Doitsu version of Sakura;
Kin = metallic gold (yellow metallic);
Kindai = modern;
Kindai Showa = modern Showa; (refers to a style of Showa that has predominately more white than black, as
                          opposed to the classic Showa, which usually shows more black than white);
Kin Kabuto = a black koi whose scales have gold edges. Now considered valueless;
Kin Fuji = a metallic white koi with an overlaying hi pattern;
Kinbo = a black koi with gold metallic sheen. Now considered valueless;
Kinsui = a metallic Shusui with a gold lustre, more hi (see Ginsui);
kiwa = trailing edge of pattern elements, the definition between hi and white markings;
Komoyo = small hi markings;
Konjo = very dark blue/indigo;
Koromozumi = sumi Goromo netted sumi;
Koshi-nishiki = the result of a cross between an Ogon and a Sanke. Now known as a Yamatonishiki;
Kuchi = lips in general term;
Kuchibeni = red lipstick-like markings, hi on lips;
Kumoru = loss of colour brightness and gloss;
Kuro = black;
Kuro Ki Han = the original name for Shiro Utsuri;

 
Magoi = a black mud carp, originally wild, an early ancestor of modern nishikigoi;
Matsuba = a darker color in the center of each scale giving a net like appearance to them; “pinecone” pattern;
Matsukawabake = a non-metallic black-and-white koi whose pattern changes with the time of year and water
                               temperature, although periods may be longer;
Men = face;
Menkaburi = red covering the entire face/head;
Menware = split mask. In Koi, it refers to a black line of sumi that runs diagonally from the Koi's forehead to its
                    nose or mouth, in effect "splitting the mask". The traditional Showa head pattern, (lightning stripe pattern)
                    where the black divides the red marking on the head.
Midori = green;
Midorigoi = a green doitsu koi with black or silvery scales, a very rare koi;
Mizu = water;
Mizu Asagi = a very light coloured koi;
Moto = 'original sumi', i.e. black markings that are apparent in fry and remain visible on the adult koi;
moto aka =basic red (pattern); red pectoral fin joints; 'basic red';
Motoguro pattern = black fin joints; basic black (refers to the black at the base of the pectoral fins on Showa,
                                 Utsuri, Kin Showa, and Hikari Utsuri; well balanced motoguro is considered highly desirable;
                                 however, lack of motoguro is not considered a defect).
Moyo = more than one (colour);
Muji = single ( self coloured);

 
Nesai = over one year, and up to two years old;
Nezu/Nezumi = gray;
Ni bu = size two;
Niban = secondary;
Niban hi = secondary hi, also called Asagi hi;
Nibani = secondary hi, which appears and disappears depending on factors like water condition and temperature;
Nidan = two step;
nisai = two year olds;
Nosezumi = the black pattern overlapping the red pattern;

 
Omoyo = deep-wrapping pattern,( large hi markings);
Onagagoi = long tail koi; longfin;
Orenji = orange in color;

 
Purachina = platinum, a white metallic koi;

 
Renzokumoyo = continuous pattern;
Rin = shiny Scale;
Roku bu = size six;

 
Sakura = the metallic version of Kohaku;
San bu = size three;
Sandan = three step pattern;
Sanke = literally 'tri colour'. White based koi w-+ith red and black markings.( referred to as Sanshoku);
Sarasa = red spots on back. Pattern of birds, flowers and geometric patterns;
Sashi = Blurring of the leading edge of a pattern element, seen on scaled koi. These underlying black and red
             markings often stablize when the koi is mature.
Sashikomi = Scales covering the front edge of a the pattern.
Shiki bu = size seven;
Shimi = very small black speckles or dots, no larger than a single scale. Sometimes spoil the appearance of the
              white or red markings of koi;
Shintaro = new Go-Sanke line of koi;
Shiro = white;
Shiroji = the white area;
Shiromuji = a white non metallic koi;
Shochikubai = a metallic Ai Goromo;
Soragoi = a grey-blue, non metallic koi;
Sui = water;
Sumi = black (markings on the body of the koi); black only in patches;
Suminagashi = a black koi with scale reticulation in white;

 
Taki = waterfall;
Taki Sanke = an Asagi whose blue body colour is divided from the red markings on its sides by a white line;
Tancho = means a red spot or cap only on the head of the koi;
tategoi = koi that is still young , possessing potential for the future; also a very expensive fish;
Tebire = pectoral fin;
tosai = koi less than a year old; in its first year, up to one year old;
Tsuba Sumi = black pattern over white skin;

 
Wabi/Sabi = appearance of depth to the skin of a scaled koi;
Wagoi = scaled koi;

 
Yamabuki = yellow in color;
Yamato = the result of a cross between a Sanke and a Fuji Ogon;
Yondan = four step;
Yon bu = size four;
Yonsai = four years old;
Yotsushiro = "Five whites' - a black koi with white on the tail, pectoral and dorsal fins and on the head;