How do you say red in Spanish?

“Rojo” for masculine nouns, “roja” for feminine ones.

Why do Korean colour words all end in 색?

Because 색 itself means “colour” – it's added onto a colour root, as in 빨간색 (red).

How do you pronounce “grün” in German?

Round your lips as if for “oo”, then say “ee” without moving them – closer to French “u” than an English “oo”.

One word, 26 languages

Colours in 26 languages

English colour words never change shape – “red” stays “red” whether it describes a car or a dress. Many of the 26 languages below don't work that way. Spanish adjusts colour words for gender, and Croatian goes further, changing them for case too, while Mandarin and Korean build them by adding a “colour” suffix onto a root, visible directly in words like 黄色 and 빨간색. Below you can hear each colour and check the grammar and sounds that catch English speakers out first.

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Spanish

rojo

ROH-hoh

Colours

One word, 26 languages

Language	red	blue	green	yellow	black	white	brown	grey	orange
Arabic	أَحْمَرAH-mar	أَزْرَقAHZ-rahk	أَخْضَرAKH-dahr	أَصْفَرAHS-fahr	أَسْوَدAHS-wahd	أَبْيَضAHB-yahd	بُنِّيّboon-NEE	رَمَادِيّra-mah-DEE	بُرْتُقَالِيّboor-too-kah-LEE
Austrian	rotroht	blaublow	grüngrewn	gelbgelp	schwarzshvarts	weißvice	braunbrown	graugrow	orangeoh-RAHNSH
Bulgarian	червенcher-VEN	синseen	зеленzeh-LEN	жълтzhuhlt	черенCHEH-ren	бялbyal	кафявkah-FYAV	сивseev	оранжевoh-RAHN-zhev
Chinese	红色hoong-suh	蓝色lahn-suh	绿色lyew-suh	黄色hwahng-suh	黑色hay-suh	白色bye-suh	棕色dzong-suh	灰色hway-suh	橙色chuhng-suh
Croatian	crvenTSER-ven	plavplahv	zelenZEH-len	žutzhoot	crntsern	bijelBEE-yel	smeđsmedj	sivseev	narančastnah-RAHN-chahst
Danish	rødrerdh	blåbloh	grøngrurn	gulgool	sort	hvidveedh	brunbroon	grågroh	orangeoh-RAHNSH
Dutch	roodroht	blauwblow	groenkhroon	geelkhayl	zwartzvahrt	witvit	bruinbrown	grijskhrayss	oranjeoh-RAHN-yuh
English	red	blue	green	yellow	black	white	brown	grey	orange
Finnish	punainenPOO-nigh-nen	sininenSEE-nee-nen	vihreäVEEKH-reh-ah	keltainenKEL-tigh-nen	mustaMOOS-tah	valkoinenVAHL-koy-nen	ruskeaROOS-keh-ah	harmaaHAHR-mah	oranssioh-RAHN-see
French	rougeroozh	bleubluh	vertvair	jaunezhohn	noirnwahr	blancblahn	marronmah-ROHN	grisgree	orangeoh-RAHNZH
German	rotroht	blaublow	grüngrewn	gelbgelp	schwarzshvarts	weißvice	braunbrown	graugrow	orangeoh-RAHNSH
Greek	κόκκινοKOH-kee-noh	μπλεbleh	πράσινοPRAH-see-noh	κίτρινοKEE-tree-noh	μαύροMAHV-roh	άσπροAHS-proh	καφέkah-FEH	γκριgree	πορτοκαλίpor-toh-kah-LEE
Italian	rossoROHS-soh	blubloo	verdeVEHR-deh	gialloJAHL-loh	neroNEH-roh	biancobee-AHN-koh	marronemah-ROH-neh	grigioGREE-joh	arancioneah-rahn-CHOH-neh
Japanese	赤ah-kah	青ah-oh	緑mee-doh-ree	黄色kee-ee-roh	黒koo-roh	白shee-roh	茶色chah-ee-roh	灰色hah-ee-roh	オレンジoh-ren-jee
Korean	빨간색bbahl-gahn-sek	파란색pah-rahn-sek	초록색choh-rohk-sek	노란색noh-rahn-sek	검은색guh-meun-sek	하얀색hah-yahn-sek	갈색gahl-sek	회색hweh-sek	주황색joo-hwahng-sek
Low German	rootroht	blaublow	grööngrern	geelgayl	swartsvahrt	wittvit	bruunbroon	graugrow	orangeoh-RAHNSH
Norwegian	rødrer	blåbloh	grønngrern	gulgool	svartsvahrt	hvitveet	brunbroon	grågroh	oransjeoh-RAHN-shuh
Polish	czerwonycher-VOH-nih	niebieskinyeh-BYES-kee	zielonyzhyeh-LOH-nih	żółtyZHOOW-tih	czarnyCHAR-nih	białyBYAH-wih	brązowybrawn-ZOH-vih	szarySHAH-rih	pomarańczowypoh-mah-rahn-CHOH-vih
Portuguese	vermelhovair-MEH-lyoo	azulah-ZOOL	verdeVAIR-deh	amareloah-mah-REH-loo	pretoPREH-too	brancoBRAHN-koo	marrommah-HOHM	cinzaSEEN-zah	laranjalah-RAHN-jah
Romanian	roșuROH-shoo	albastruahl-BAHS-troo	verdeVEHR-deh	galbenGAHL-ben	negruNEH-groo	albahlb	maromah-ROH	grigree	portocaliupor-toh-KAH-lee-oo
Russian	красныйKRAHS-niy	синийSEE-niy	зелёныйzyeh-LYOH-niy	жёлтыйZHOL-tiy	чёрныйCHOR-niy	белыйBYEH-liy	коричневыйkah-REECH-nyeh-viy	серыйSYEH-riy	оранжевыйah-RAHN-zheh-viy
Spanish	rojoROH-hoh	azulah-SOOL	verdeVEHR-deh	amarilloah-mah-REE-yoh	negroNEH-groh	blancoBLAHN-koh	marrónmah-ROHN	grisgrees	naranjanah-RAHN-hah
Swedish	rödrerd	blåbloh	gröngrern	gulgool	svartsvahrt	vitveet	brunbroon	grågroh	orangeoh-RAHNSH
Syrian Arabic	أحمرAH-mar	أزرقAHZ-ra	أخضرAKH-dar	أصفرAHS-far	أسودAHS-wad	أبيضAH-byad	بنيBOON-nee	رماديrah-MAH-dee	برتقاليboor-too-AH-nee
Turkish	kırmızıkuhr-muh-ZUH	maviMAH-vee	yeşilyeh-SHEEL	sarıSAH-ruh	siyahsee-YAH	beyazbeh-YAHZ	kahverengiKAH-veh-ren-gee	grigree	turuncutoo-ROON-joo
Ukrainian	червонийchair-VOH-niy	синійSIH-niy	зеленийzeh-LEH-niy	жовтийZHOV-tiy	чорнийCHOR-niy	білийBEE-liy	коричневийkoh-RICH-neh-viy	сірийSEE-riy	помаранчевийpoh-mah-RAHN-cheh-viy

Colour words that change shape

Several languages here change the ending of a colour word to match the noun it describes. Spanish “rojo” becomes “roja” in front of a feminine noun, and Croatian goes further with case as well as gender – asking “Koju boju želite?” (“Which colour would you like?”) gets an answer like “Crvenu, molim” (“Red, please”), not the bare dictionary form “crven”.

Mandarin and Korean build colour words differently again, adding a “colour” suffix onto a root: “黄色” (yellow) carries 色 in Mandarin, and every Korean colour here ends in 색. Japanese only does this sometimes – “赤” (red) and “青” (blue) stand alone, while “茶色” (brown) keeps the same 色 ending.

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Sounds worth slowing down for

Spanish “rojo” uses a consonant, x, made at the back of the throat, closer to the “ch” in Scottish “loch” than an English “h” – and the stress falls on the first syllable, RO-kho. German “grün” needs a rounded front vowel: shape your lips as if for “oo”, then say “ee” without moving them, and you'll land close to the German ü.

French “orange” carries a nasal vowel in its second syllable and an “r” made at the back of the throat, not with the tip of the tongue. Turkish “turuncu” (orange) stresses its final syllable, turun-CU, with a “c” that sounds like an English “j”, as in “judge”.

Where English habits show

The most common mistake is treating colour words as fixed, the way English does. Forgetting to change Spanish “rojo” to “roja” before a feminine noun, or leaving a Croatian colour in its dictionary form instead of the case a sentence calls for, stands out immediately to a native speaker.

The second is pronunciation: softening the Spanish x into a plain “h”, or rounding French “orange” into an English “or-anj” instead of keeping the nasal vowel and throaty “r” intact.

Short everyday dialogues

Buying a bag at a market in Zagreb

VendorKoju boju želite?Which colour would you like?
YouCrvenu, molim.Red, please.

Choosing a T-shirt in a shop in Milan

ClerkChe colore preferisce?What colour would you prefer?
YouVorrei una maglietta rossa.I'd like a red T-shirt.

Choosing fabric at a market in Shanghai

Seller你要什么颜色？What colour do you want?
You我要黄色。I want yellow.

Picking a pen at a stationery shop in Tokyo

Clerk何色になさいますか？Which colour would you like?
You茶色をお願いします。Brown, please.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say red in Spanish?: “Rojo” for masculine nouns, “roja” for feminine ones.
Why do Korean colour words all end in 색?: Because 색 itself means “colour” – it's added onto a colour root, as in 빨간색 (red).
How do you pronounce “grün” in German?: Round your lips as if for “oo”, then say “ee” without moving them – closer to French “u” than an English “oo”.

Learn the language, not just the word.

Start learning

Colours in 26 languages

One word, 26 languages

Colour words that change shape

Sounds worth slowing down for

Where English habits show

Short everyday dialogues

HRBuying a bag at a market in Zagreb

ITChoosing a T-shirt in a shop in Milan

ZHChoosing fabric at a market in Shanghai

JAPicking a pen at a stationery shop in Tokyo

Frequently asked questions

Learn the language, not just the word.

Buying a bag at a market in Zagreb

Choosing a T-shirt in a shop in Milan

Choosing fabric at a market in Shanghai

Picking a pen at a stationery shop in Tokyo