Colors in Chinese: 12 Colors with Pinyin and Audio

The word for "color" in Chinese is 颜色 (yánsè), and almost every color name ends in the same character: 色 (sè), "color". Learn the first character of each and you have the whole set. Here are the twelve colors you will use most, with pinyin and native audio (press ▶), the phrases that go with them, and what the colors mean in Chinese culture.

The 12 basic colors in Chinese

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Listen
红色	hóngsè	red	▶
蓝色	lánsè	blue	▶
黄色	huángsè	yellow	▶
绿色	lǜsè	green	▶
白色	báisè	white	▶
黑色	hēisè	black	▶
橙色	chéngsè	orange	▶
粉色	fěnsè	pink	▶
紫色	zǐsè	purple	▶
灰色	huīsè	gray	▶
棕色	zōngsè	brown	▶
金色	jīnsè	gold	▶

When to say 色 and when to drop it

The full name with 色 is the noun: 我喜欢红色 (wǒ xǐhuan hóngsè, I like red). Describing a thing, the first character is usually enough: 红花 (hóng huā, a red flower), 白衣服 (bái yīfu, white clothes). When the color stands on its own as "the red one", add 的: 我要蓝色的 (I want the blue one). And as an adjective after 很: 她的脸很红 (her face is very red).

Useful phrases with colors

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Listen
这是什么颜色？	zhè shì shénme yánsè?	What color is this?	▶
你喜欢什么颜色？	nǐ xǐhuan shénme yánsè?	What color do you like?	▶
我喜欢红色。	wǒ xǐhuan hóngsè.	I like red.	▶
我要蓝色的。	wǒ yào lánsè de.	I want the blue one.	▶
有没有白色的？	yǒu méiyǒu báisè de?	Do you have it in white?	▶
这个太暗了。	zhège tài àn le.	This one is too dark.	▶
红色很好看。	hóngsè hěn hǎokàn.	Red looks great.	▶
五颜六色	wǔyán-liùsè	colorful, all sorts of colors	▶

For lighter and darker shades put 浅 (qiǎn, light) or 深 (shēn, dark) in front: 浅蓝色 is light blue, 深绿色 dark green.

What colors mean in China

• Red (红) is luck and celebration: red lanterns at Spring Festival, red wedding dresses, and 红包 (hóngbāo), the red envelopes of money given at New Year.
• Yellow (黄) was the emperor's color — only the imperial family could wear bright yellow.
• Gold (金) stands for wealth.
• White (白) is traditionally the color of mourning and funerals, so white flowers or envelopes are not a cheerful gift.
• Green (绿) is fresh and healthy — except in one expression: 戴绿帽子 (dài lǜ màozi, "to wear a green hat") means your partner is cheating on you. Never give a man a green hat.

Listen and repeat: all 20 colors and phrases

Say every color out loud with this video — first in English, then in Chinese, then slowly, and then it is your turn.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "color" in Chinese?

颜色 (yánsè).

What is the luckiest color in China?

Red (红色, hóngsè) — it stands for luck, happiness and celebration.

How do you say "What is your favorite color?" in Chinese?

你最喜欢什么颜色？(nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme yánsè?)

From colors to reading

Notice how 色 came back twelve times? Chinese is full of characters like that, and the most frequent ones carry most of every page you read — see the most common Chinese characters. Character Mastery takes you through the 2,500 characters behind 98% of everyday Chinese in frequency order, with meanings in your own language — $1 for the first seven days, then $29/month.