How to Use Colors in Arabic Language in Sentences

In Arabic, colors go beyond writing, learning and pronouncing them. Arabic colors change form based on gender, which makes learning them a great way to introduce Arabic grammar and adjectives. This content will provide a structured way to teach and learn all colors in Arabic language.

By the end of this content, you will learn the Arabic names of primary and secondary colours, understand how colours change based on gender (masculine vs. feminine forms), how to use colors in everyday sentences and also have access to an Arabic colours worksheet to practice writing colours in Arabic.

The Basic colors in Arabic Language

Understanding colors is the first step to building your vocabulary when learning a new language including Arabic. This especially applies to beginners as colors allow you to know the rules of a language. Here are some basic colors you should know in Arabic, plus their pronunciation.

1. Primary colours in Arabic Language

Primary colors are essential colors as they form the basis of other colours. The colours are red, yellow, and blue.

Primary colours used as a sentence

• The apple is red –  At-Tuffāḥah Ḥamrāʾ
  
• The car is blue –  As-Sayyārah Zarqāʾ
• The sun is yellow –  Ash-Shams Ṣafrā

2. Secondary colors in Arabic Language

Secondary colors are derived from mixing the primary colors. These colors are green, orange and purple.

Secondary Colors used as a Sentence

• The leaves are green – الأوراق خضراء  Al-Awrāq Khaḍrāʾ
  
• The orange is orange – البرتقالة برتقالية  Al-Burtuqālah Burtuqāliyyah
  
• The flower is purple – الزهرة بنفسجية  Az-Zahrah Banafsajiyyah
  

3. Neutral Colors in Arabic Language

Neutral colours used in a sentence

Black (Aswad / Sawdāʾ)

• The book is black – الكتاب أسود (Al-Kitāb Aswad) (Masculine)
  
• The bag is black – الحقيبة سوداء (Al-Ḥaqībah Sawdāʾ) (Feminine)

White (Abyad / Bayḍāʾ)

• The dress is white – الفستان أبيض (Al-Fustān Abyad) (Masculine)
  
• The flower is white – الزهرة بيضاء (Az-Zahrah Bayḍāʾ) (Feminine)

Brown (Bunni / Bunniyyah)

• The chair is brown – الكرسي بني (Al-Kursī Bunni) (Masculine)
  
• The bag is brown – الحقيبة بنية (Al-Ḥaqībah Bunniyyah) (Feminine

Gray (Ramādī / Ramādiyyah)

• The wolf is gray – الذئب رمادي (Adh-Dhiʾb Ramādī) (Masculine)
  
• The cloud is gray – السحابة رمادية (As-Saḥābah Ramādiyyah) (Feminine)

Silver (Fiḍḍī / Fiḍḍiyyah)

• The watch is silver – الساعة فضية (As-Sāʿah Fiḍḍiyyah) (Feminine)
  
• The car is silver – السيارة فضية (As-Sayyārah Fiḍḍiyyah) (Feminine)

Ivory (Ājī / ʿĀjiyyah)

• The table is ivory – الطاولة عاجية (Aṭ-Ṭāwilah ʿĀjiyyah) (Feminine)
  
• The suit is ivory – البدلة عاجية (Al-Badlah ʿĀjiyyah) (Feminine)

Gold (Dhahabī / Dhahabiyyah)

• The ring is gold – الخاتم ذهبي (Al-Khātam Dhahabī) (Masculine)
  
• The necklace is gold – العقد ذهبية (Al-ʿIqd Dhahabiyyah) (Feminine)

Beige (Bīj) (Same for both genders in common use)

• The sofa is beige – الأريكة بيج (Al-Arīkah Bīj) (Feminine)

• The dress is beige – الفستان بيج (Al-Fustān Bīj) (Masculine)

Why do Arabic Color names change in a sentence?

You must have noticed the change of the colors from their Arabic names to their feminine form in the sentences used as examples. This is because, in Arabic, adjectives (and color) must match the gender of the noun they describe. In Arabic, nouns can either be masculine or feminine, and adjectives must align with the noun's gender.

For example; 

Masculine Noun + Masculine Color Adjective

The book is green → الكتاب أخضر (Al-Kitāb Akhḍar)

• الكتاب (Al-Kitāb) = "The book" (Masculine)
  
• أخضر (Akhḍar) = "Green" (Masculine)

Feminine Noun + Feminine Color Adjective

The flower is purple → الزهرة بنفسجية (Az-Zahrah Banafsajiyyah)

• الزهرة (Az-Zahrah) = "The flower" (Feminine)

• بنفسجية (Banafsajiyyah) = "Purple" (Feminine)

With the above example, you can see how we match a masculine colour form with a masculine noun and a feminine color form with a feminine noun.

How Do Colors Change Forms?

For most colours, the masculine form is the base form:

• Red (Masculine) → أحمر (Ahmar)
  
• Blue (Masculine) → أزرق (Azraq)
  
• Yellow (Masculine) → أصفر (Asfar)

To make these colours feminine, the word structure changes by adding the suffix "ـاء" (-āʾ) at the end:

• Red (Feminine) → حمراء (Hamrāʾ)
  
• Blue (Feminine) → زرقاء (Zarqāʾ)
  
• Yellow (Feminine) → صفراء (Ṣafrāʾ)

Applying this rule in sentences

Let's examine some examples of this rule.

The apple is red → التفاحة حمراء (At-Tuffāḥah Ḥamrāʾ)

• التفاحة (At-Tuffāḥah) means "the apple" and is a feminine noun.
  
• The color أحمر (Ahmar - masculine) must change to حمراء (Ḥamrāʾ - feminine) to match.

The car is blue → السيارة زرقاء (As-Sayyārah Zarqāʾ)

• السيارة (As-Sayyārah) means "the car" and is feminine.
  
• The color أزرق (Azraq - masculine) must change to زرقاء (Zarqāʾ - feminine).

However, it’s important to remember that some colors remain the same regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine, especially colors that end with "ي" (i).

For example;

• Orange – برتقالي – Burtuqāli

• Purple – بنفسجي – Banafsaji

• Gray  – رمادي – Ramādi

• Brown – بني – Bunni

How do you know if a noun is masculine or feminine?

Most feminine nouns in Arabic end in "ـة" (-ah) (like "تفاحة" for apple or "سيارة" for car), but there are exceptions like "الشمس" (sun), which is also feminine.

Common mistakes and tips to remember

Mistake: Using the wrong colour form with a noun.
Correction: Always check the gender of the noun before choosing the colour form.

Mistake: Forgetting that some colors don’t change (like برتقالي, رمادي).
Correction: Memorise which colors remain the same.

Keep note; If a noun ends with "ة" (taa marbuta), it is usually feminine, so use the feminine form of the color.

Step by step to writing Arabic Colors

If you are a beginner, before you start writing Arabic colors in Arabic, it’s important to remember that Arabic is written from right to left. Also, keep note that some Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word(beginning, middle or end). In Arabic writing, some letters connect while others do not.

For illustration;

أحمر  (Ahmar - Red)