白髪

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 白髪, read しらが, means white or gray hair.
• Basic usage: In 鏡を見ると、前髪に白髪が一本見つかった。, the speaker finds a single gray hair near the forehead while looking in a mirror.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• One strand and a head of hair
  • 白髪が一本 focuses on one strand, while 豊かな白髪 describes a full head of white hair. English similarly distinguishes a gray hair from gray or white hair as a mass.