颜色 — Colors
Learn colors in Mandarin: 红 (hóng), 橙 (chéng), 黄 (huáng), 绿 (lǜ), 蓝 (lán), 紫 (zǐ), 白 (bái), 黑 (hēi), 灰 (huī), 粉 (fěn). Note: 红 is culturally significant, linked to luck, celebration, and Chinese New Year.
A lesson of Mandarin Chinese A1 — Beginner, in Everyday Vocabulary, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will name colors in Mandarin, describe objects using colors, and understand the cultural significance of color in China.
The Color Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | Tones | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 红 | hóng | 2nd | red |
| 橙 | chéng | 2nd | orange |
| 黄 | huáng | 2nd | yellow |
| 绿 | lǜ | 4th | green |
| 蓝 | lán | 2nd | blue |
| 紫 | zǐ | 3rd | purple |
| 白 | bái | 2nd | white |
| 黑 | hēi | 1st | black |
| 灰 | huī | 1st | gray |
| 粉 | fěn | 3rd | pink |
| 棕 | zōng | 1st | brown |
| 金 | jīn | 1st | gold |
| 银 | yín | 2nd | silver |
How to Describe Color
Color + 的 + noun
红的苹果 (hóng de píngguǒ) — red apple 蓝的天空 (lán de tiānkōng) — blue sky 白的雪 (bái de xuě) — white snow
In practice, 的 is often dropped in short phrases: 红苹果 — red apple (natural spoken Chinese)
Asking about color
这是什么颜色？ (Zhè shì shénme yánsè?) — What color is this? 你最喜欢什么颜色？ (Nǐ zuì xǐhuān shénme yánsè?) — What is your favorite color?
Shades and Compounds
Add 深 (shēn — deep/dark) or 浅 (qiǎn — shallow/light) before the color:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 深蓝 | shēn lán | dark blue / navy |