white

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 白 has 5 strokes and concerns white color or a blank state.
• Basic usage: 白い is read しろい, and 白紙 is read はくし.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Color and a figurative clean slate
  • 白い雲 means white clouds, with 白い describing color before the noun.
  • The 白 in 白紙 is read はく.
  • 白紙の中央 means the center of a blank sheet of paper.
  • 計画を白紙に戻した figuratively means scrapped the plan and started over.