Just like in English, colors in Arabic are absolutely essential for everyday conversation. Knowing the names of different hues allows you to vividly describe the world around you, from the passionate red in Arabic of a breathtaking sunset to the serene blue of a clear sky. In this article, we’ll explore the most common arabic colours, learn their names in the arabic language, and even peek into some of their fascinating cultural significance. So, let’s joyfully dive into the colorful world of Arabic!
Basic Colors in Arabic: Your Starting Palette
Here are some of the most fundamental colors in Arabic that you’ll encounter frequently. We’ll look at their English equivalents, the Arabic transliteration, the Arabic script, and a little cultural insight for some:
Black in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼaswad
- Arabic Script: أَسْوَد
- Example: “aswad il-qalb” (أَسْوَد الْقَلْب), meaning “black-hearted” or full of hatred.
- Cultural Notes: Sometimes pops up in sayings, sometimes pops up in sayings, for example, “aswad il-qalb” (أَسْوَد الْقَلْب), meaning “black-hearted” or full of hatred.
White in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼabyadh
- Arabic Script: أَبْيَض
- Example: قَلْب أَبْيَض (qalb ʼabyaḍ) – White heart.
- Cultural Notes: Strongly associated with light, peace, purity, and natural wonders like clouds, water, air, and cotton.
Blue in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼazraq
- Arabic Script: أَزْرَق
- Example: بَاب أَزْرَق (bāb ʼazraq) – A blue door.
- Cultural Notes: Often brings to mind the vastness of the sky and the calming presence of the sea.
Green in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼakhdhar
- Arabic Script: أَخْضَر
- Example: ضَوْء أَخْضَر (ḍawʼ ʼakhḍar) – Green light.
- Cultural Notes: Holds significant importance in Arab culture, symbolizing truthfulness, goodness, growth, harmony, health, and safety. You’ll often see it in Islamic art and on flags.
Yellow in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼaSfar
- Arabic Script: أَصْفَر
- Example: قَمِيص أَصْفَر (qamīṣ ʼaṣfar) – A yellow shirt.
- Cultural Notes: Primarily connected to nature, representing the warmth of the sun, the beauty of autumn leaves, and the endless Arabic color name of the desert sands.
Red in Arabic:
- Transliteration: ʼHhmar
- Arabic Script: أَحْمَر
- Example: خَطّ أَحْمَر (khaṭṭ ʼaḥmar) – A red line.
- Cultural Notes: Can represent the warmth of love but also stronger emotions like anger. It’s sometimes seen as the color in Arabic language of hardships and dangers, so understanding its context is key.
Beyond the Basics: Expanding Your Colors In Arabic Vocabulary
Once you’ve grasped the primary colors in Arabic, you can expand your palette with more nuanced shades. Notice how many of these follow a similar pattern to the basic colors.
- Orange in Arabic – برتقالي (burtuqālī)
- Purple in Arabic – بنفسجي (banafsajī)
- Pink in Arabic – وردي (wardī)
- Grey in Arabic – رمادي (ramādī)
- Brown in Arabic – بني (bunnī)
- Golden in Arabic – ذهبي (dhahabī)
- Silver in Arabic – فضي (fiḍḍī)
Describing Shades and Tones of Colors In Arabic
To be even more precise when talking about colors in Arabic, you can use adjectives to describe shades and tones.
- Dark
- Example: أُفَضِّلُ اللَّوْنَ الأَخْضَرَ الغَامِق.(ʼufaḍḍil al-lawn al-ʼakhḍar al-ghāmiq.) I prefer the dark green color.
- Light
- Example: اِشْتَرَتْ فُسْتَانًا أَصْفَرَ فَاتِحًا. (ishtarāt fustānan ʼaṣfar fātiḥan.)Meaning: She bought a light yellow dress.
- Bright, vibrant
- Example: لِلطَّائِرِ رِيشٌ أَحْمَرُ زَاهٍ.(liṭ-ṭāʼiri rīshun ʼaḥmaru zāhin.) Meaning: “The bird has bright red feathers.”
The Significance of Colour in Arabic Culture
As you’ve seen, the basic understanding of Arabic colours often mirrors what you know in English. However, some color in Arabic language carries a deeper cultural weight. For example, the prominence of green in Islamic traditions makes it a particularly significant Arabic colour. Similarly, the contrasting symbolism sometimes linked to red in Arabic is definitely worth noting.
While not every color in Arabic language has a complex symbolic meaning, grasping the nuances of arabic colours like green, white, and even black can offer a richer glimpse into Arab culture and expressions.
Arabic Colors:
Navigating Masculine, Feminine, Singular, and Plural Forms
Remember, in Arabic, adjectives, including Arabic colour names, must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they describe.
Masculine Singular:
This is the basic form you’ve already learned (e.g., ʼaswad, ʼabyad, ʼazraq, ʼakhdhar, ʼaSfar, ʼahmar, bunniyy).
- Black in Arabic – أَسْوَد (ʾaswad)
- White in Arabic – أَبْيَض (ʾabyaḍ)
- Blue in Arabic – أَزْرَق (ʾazraq)
- Green in Arabic – أَخْضَر (ʾakhḍar)
- Yellow in Arabic– أَصْفَر (ʾaṣfar)
- Red in Arabic – أَحْمَر (ʾaḥmar)
- Pink in Arabic– زَهْرِيّ (zahriyy)
- Orange in Arabic – بُرْتُقَالِيّ (burtuqāliyy)
- Purple in Arabic– بَنَفْسَجِيّ (banafsajiyy)
- Brown in Arabic – بُنِّيّ (bunniyy)
Masculine Singular Example Sentences
- A black cat – قِطٌّ أَسْوَد (qiṭṭun ʾaswad)
- A white horse – حِصَانٌ أَبْيَض (ḥiṣānun ʾabyaḍ)
- A green book – كِتَابٌ أَخْضَر (kitābun ʾakhḍar)
Feminine Singular:
For many Arabic colours, the feminine form is created by adding a tāʾ marbūṭah (ة) to a modified root. However, the basic colors in Arabic often have slightly different feminine forms:
- Black in Arabic – سَوْدَاء (sawdaaʼ)
- White in Arabic– بَيْضَاء (bayḍhaaʼ)
- Blue in Arabic – زَرْقَاء (zarqaaʼ)
- Green in Arabic – خَضْرَاء (khaḍhraaʼ)
- Yellow in Arabic – صَفْرَاء (Safraaʼ)
- Red in Arabic – حَمْرَاء (Hamraa’)
- Pink in Arabic – زَهْرِيَّة (zahriyyah)
- Orange in Arabic – بُرْتُقَالِيَّة (burtuqaaliyyah)
- Purple in Arabic– بَنَفْسَجِيَّة (banafsajiyyah)
- Brown in Arabic– بُنِّيَّة (bunniyyah)
Feminine Singular examples:
- اَلسَّبُّورَةُ ٱلسَّوْدَاءُ كَبِيرَةٌ (as-sabbooratu issawdaaʼu kabeeratun.) – The blackboard is big.
- اَلسَّيَّارَةُ ٱلزَّرْقَاءُ سَرِيعَةٌ (assayyaaratu izzarqaaʼu sariiʻatun.) – The blue car is fast.
- اَلْحَقِيبَةُ ٱلْخَضْرَاءُ جَدِيدَةٌ (al-Haqeebatu il-khadhraaʼu jadeedatun.) – The green bag is new.
Colors in Arabic Plural:
The plural forms of Arabic colour words can be a bit more varied. Here are some common plural forms to get you started:
- Black in Arabic: suud (سُود)
- White in Arabic: beedh (بِيض)
- Blue in Arabic: zurq (زُرْق)
- Green in Arabic: khudhr (خُضْر)
- Yellow in Arabic: Sufr (صُفْر)
- Red in Arabic: Humr (حُمْر)
- Pink in Arabic: zahriyyoon / zahriyyaat (زَهْرِيُّون / زَهْرِيَّات)
- Orange in Arabic: burtuqaaliyyoon / burtuqaaliyyaat (بُرْتُقَالِيُّون / بُرْتُقَالِيَّات)
- Purple in Arabic: banafsajiyyoon / banafsajiyyaat (بَنَفْسَجِيُّون / بَنَفْسَجِيَّات)
- Brown in Arabic: bunniyyoon / bunniyyaat (بُنِّيُّون / بُنِّيَّات)
Plural examples:
- اَلْأَقْلَامُ ٱلسُّودُ عَلَى ٱلْمَكْتَبِ. (al-ʼqlaamu issuudu ʿala il-maktabi.) – The black pens are on the desk.
- اَلْغُرَفُ ٱلْبَيْضُ وَاسِعَةٌ. (al-ghurafu il-beedhu waasiʻatun.) – The white rooms are spacious.
- اَلْبَنَاتُ يَرْتَدِينَ فُسَاتِينَ زَهْرِيَّةً (al-banaatu yartadeena fasaateena zahriyyatan.) – The girls are wearing pink dresses. (Here, zahriyyatan is an accusative feminine plural, agreeing with fasaatiina)
Expanding Your Arabic Colour Vocabulary
The Kaleela website is a resource for learning the Arabic language. The provided text emphasizes that learning colors is a great starting point for expanding one’s Arabic vocabulary. It not only helps in describing things but also offers a glimpse into Arab culture through color-related expressions. The website explains how colors in Arabic change based on gender and number, which is a crucial aspect of the grammar. For those who want to learn Arabic at their own pace, the text recommends visiting kaleela.com and downloading the Kaleela Arabic learning app.
