Colors in Arabic

Written by Amel B.

About this Arabic colors activity

This activity teaches 12 colors. In Learn, each color is a card with a swatch, the Arabic word, the English name and a pronunciation guide, and a button plays the word. In Match, your child sees an Arabic color word and taps the swatch of that color from five choices. The audio uses your device's Arabic voice, so it varies between devices.

The 12 colors, with masculine and feminine forms

Arabic colors are adjectives, so they change to match the noun. The masculine form is shown first, then the feminine.

There are two patterns. The six basic colors (red, blue, green, yellow, white, black) all start with أ and take a different shape for the feminine ending in اء. The other six end in ـيّ and add ة for the feminine.

Using colors in sentences

• The color comes after the noun, the opposite of English: كِتَاب أَحْمَر (a red book), سَيَّارَة حَمْرَاء (a red car).
• “The red car” puts ال on both words: السَّيَّارَة الحَمْرَاء.
• Groups of things use the feminine form: سَيَّارَات حَمْرَاء (red cars).
• Everyday pairs to practise: سَمَاء زَرْقَاء (blue sky), عُشْب أَخْضَر (green grass), ثَلْج أَبْيَض (white snow), مَوْزَة صَفْرَاء (a yellow banana).

Mistakes to watch for

• Putting the color first, as in English.
• Using the masculine form for a feminine noun.
• Mixing up أَزْرَق (blue) with سَمَاوِيّ (sky blue), or أَحْمَر with وَرْدِيّ (pink).
• Leaving out the hamza on أ, which starts all six basic colors.

Mixing colors

With paint, red and yellow make orange (بُرْتُقَالِيّ), blue and yellow make green (أَخْضَر), and red and blue make purple (بَنَفْسَجِيّ). Naming the colors in Arabic while mixing is an easy way to practise.

A simple learning plan

1. Session 1. Learn the first four colors in Learn mode, and point to each one around the room.
2. Session 2. Add four more and play Match until your child answers without hesitation.
3. Session 3. Learn the last four, then describe three objects using the table above.

Away from the screen

• Color hunt. Ask for something أَحْمَر or أَخْضَر and have your child bring one.
• Rainbow order. Line up colored pencils and name them in Arabic.
• Color the page. Use our alphabet animal coloring pages and name each crayon in Arabic as you use it.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say colors in Arabic?

“Colors” is أَلْوَان (alwaan). The basic ones are أَحْمَر (red), أَزْرَق (blue), أَخْضَر (green), أَصْفَر (yellow), أَبْيَض (white) and أَسْوَد (black).

What is red in Arabic?

أَحْمَر (ahmar) for masculine words and حَمْرَاء (hamraa') for feminine ones.

Do Arabic color words change for masculine and feminine?

Yes. A red book is كِتَاب أَحْمَر and a red car is سَيَّارَة حَمْرَاء. Beginners can start with the masculine forms.

What is white in Arabic?

أَبْيَض (abyad) for masculine words and بَيْضَاء (bayDaa') for feminine ones. Black is أَسْوَد and سَوْدَاء.

Where does the color come in a sentence?

After the noun: قَلَم أَزْرَق is a blue pen. If the noun has ال, the color takes it too.

Why do some colors end in ـيّ?

They come from nouns: orange from بُرْتُقَال (oranges), pink from وَرْد (roses) and sky blue from سَمَاء (sky). Their feminine form just adds ة.

How do colors help children learn Arabic?

Children can point to colors everywhere, so they can practise all day. Colors are also a gentle way to meet adjectives and gender agreement.

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