To provide a dye forming coupler which reconciles a white background with color reproducibility of an image area in color development, and also to provide a silver halide color photosensitive material which is excellent in color reproducibility of a yellow simple color, color reproducibility of a magenta simple color and color reproducibility of red, and reproduces a white background very close to that of printing paper.

The dye forming coupler is a compound represented by a formula (a) wherein R represents a substituent; Z represents a group of atoms required to form an N-containing 6- or 7-membered ring in combination with -N-C=N; R' represents a substituent; n represents an integer of 0-4; X represents H or a substituent; and A represents H or an atomic group which is released at the time of coupling with the oxidized product of a color developing agent and has specified spectral absorption in a visible light region.