See all 9 units on the homepage.
Chinese Colors
Start with basic color names, then recognize them in clothing and fruit phrases. Pictures are simple local color and emoji placeholders.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Tones | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 红色 | hóng sè | 2 · 4 | red |
| 蓝色 | lán sè | 2 · 4 | blue |
| 黄色 | huáng sè | 2 · 4 | yellow |
| 绿色 | lǜ sè | 4 · 4 | green |
| 黑色 | hēi sè | 1 · 4 | black |
| 白色 | bái sè | 2 · 4 | white |
| 紫色 | zǐ sè | 3 · 4 | purple |
| 橙色 | chéng sè | 2 · 4 | orange |
| 红色衬衫 | hóng sè chèn shān | 2 · 4 · 4 · 1 | red shirt |
| 蓝色衬衫 | lán sè chèn shān | 2 · 4 · 4 · 1 | blue shirt |
| 黄色衬衫 | huáng sè chèn shān | 2 · 4 · 4 · 1 | yellow shirt |
| 绿色衬衫 | lǜ sè chèn shān | 4 · 4 · 4 · 1 | green shirt |
| 黑色衬衫 | hēi sè chèn shān | 1 · 4 · 4 · 1 | black shirt |
| 白色衬衫 | bái sè chèn shān | 2 · 4 · 4 · 1 | white shirt |
| 紫色衬衫 | zǐ sè chèn shān | 3 · 4 · 4 · 1 | purple shirt |
| 橙色衬衫 | chéng sè chèn shān | 2 · 4 · 4 · 1 | orange shirt |
| 红苹果 | hóng píng guǒ | 2 · 2 · 3 | red apple |
| 青苹果 | qīng píng guǒ | 1 · 2 · 3 | green apple |
| 黄香蕉 | huáng xiāng jiāo | 2 · 1 · 1 | yellow banana |
| 紫葡萄 | zǐ pú tao | 3 · 2 · neutral | purple grapes |
| 红草莓 | hóng cǎo méi | 2 · 3 · 2 | red strawberry |
| 绿西瓜 | lǜ xī guā | 4 · 1 · 1 | green watermelon |
| 黄柠檬 | huáng níng méng | 2 · 2 · 2 | yellow lemon |
| 橙色的橘子 | chéng sè de jú zi | 2 · 4 · neutral · 2 · neutral | orange tangerine |
Chinese Colors sets
Frequently asked questions
What does 色 mean in a color name?
色 means color. Many basic names include it, such as 红色 for red and 蓝色 for blue.
Where does the color go in a phrase?
The color usually comes before the noun. 红苹果 means red apple.
Can a color description include 的?
Yes. 的 can connect a descriptive phrase to a noun, as in 橙色的橘子, an orange-colored tangerine.
Are fruit colors always fixed?
No. These phrases describe the example shown. The same kind of fruit can have different colors.