Colours in Chinese: word list with pictures
12 words · tap 🔊 to hear each one in Chinese.
| Picture | English | Chinese | Say it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 红色 | hóngsè | ||
| Yellow | 黄色 | huángsè | ||
| Blue | 蓝色 | lánsè | ||
| Green | 绿色 | lǜsè | ||
| Orange | 橙色 | chéngsè | ||
| Purple | 紫色 | zǐsè | ||
| Pink | 粉色 | fěnsè | ||
| Brown | 棕色 | zōngsè | ||
| Black | 黑色 | hēisè | ||
| White | 白色 | báisè | ||
| Grey | 灰色 | huīsè | ||
| Sky Blue | 天蓝色 | tiānlánsè |
Colors in Chinese follow one neat rule that makes them easy for young children: almost every colour name ends in 色 (sè), which means "colour". Red is 红色 (hóngsè), "red colour", and blue is 蓝色 (lánsè). This page has 12 colours with clear Mandarin audio. Tap a colour to hear it in Chinese and English, then play Find it, where Golu asks for a colour and your child taps it.
A colour hunt: where to find each colour at home
The full list with audio is in the word list above. Use this short table for a colour hunt around the house, one colour a day.
| Colour | Chinese | Find it at home |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 红色 hóngsè | a red envelope, a tomato |
| Yellow | 黄色 huángsè | a banana, a school bus |
| Green | 绿色 lǜsè | leaves, a cucumber |
| White | 白色 báisè | milk, rice, clouds |
| Grey | 灰色 huīsè | a pebble, an elephant |
| Sky blue | 天蓝色 tiānlánsè | the sky on a sunny day |
The other colours are 蓝色 (lánsè, blue), 橙色 (chéngsè, orange), 紫色 (zǐsè, purple), 粉色 (fěnsè, pink), 棕色 (zōngsè, brown) and 黑色 (hēisè, black).
Notice that orange, 橙色, is named after the fruit 橙子, just as in English. Sky blue, 天蓝色, is "sky" + "blue" + "colour". Once your child knows 色, they can guess what a new colour word is about.
"What colour is this?" in Chinese
The key question is 这是什么颜色？ (Zhè shì shénme yánsè?), "What colour is this?" Your child can answer with just the colour: 红色！ Say it while playing with blocks, choosing clothes or colouring. When your child is ready for more, describe things: 红色的苹果 (a red apple), 黄色的香蕉 (a yellow banana). The little word 的 (de) links the colour to the thing. When you drop 色 before a noun, as in 红苹果, that is fine too.
What colours mean in Chinese culture
Colours carry strong meanings in China, and children notice them at festivals.
- Red 红 is the colour of luck, joy and celebration. At Chinese New Year, doors get red couplets, children receive red envelopes (红包), and lanterns glow red. Brides traditionally wear red.
- Yellow and gold 黄 were once the emperor's colour, and today gold stands for wealth.
- White 白 is used at funerals, so it is not a gift-wrapping colour.
- Green 绿 means spring, growth and health; jade, a treasured green stone, is given to children for protection.
- Black 黑 and white together are the panda's colours, which children love to point out.
In Chinese opera, face paint colours show a character: red for brave and loyal, white for sly, black for honest and fierce. Draw a simple opera mask and paint it with your child using the colouring pages as practice.
How to teach colours in Chinese at home
- Age 2-3: one colour a week. Choose 红色 and find red things everywhere: toys, fruit, cars.
- Age 3-4: colour sorting. Sort Lego, socks or fruit into piles and name each pile in Chinese.
- Age 4-5: I spy. 我看见一个绿色的东西 (I see something green). Take turns.
- Age 5-6: rainbow. Learn the rainbow order, 红、橙、黄、绿、蓝、紫, and paint one.
Colour names are abstract, so many children mix them up until age three or four. That is normal. Name colours often, but never quiz a toddler until they are upset. Praise effort: "You looked carefully!"
Inclusive tips
If your child finds colours hard, check with your paediatrician if you are worried; some children, especially boys, have colour vision differences. In the game, use the settings for fewer choices or high contrast. For children with speech delay, pointing to the right colour counts as a full answer. For bilingual kids, it is fine if the English word comes first; add the Chinese word right after.
Red, blue, green: quick answers
Here are the colours in Mandarin parents ask about most. Red in Chinese is 红色 (hóngsè); yellow in Chinese is 黄色 (huángsè); blue in Chinese is 蓝色 (lánsè); green in Chinese is 绿色 (lǜsè), with the ü sound you make by saying "ee" with rounded lips. Black in Chinese is 黑色 (hēisè) and white in Chinese is 白色 (báisè). Pink in Chinese is 粉色 (fěnsè), sometimes 粉红色, "powder red". Purple in Chinese is 紫色 (zǐsè). For the pronunciation of each colour, tap it on the game a few times and copy the tone: 红 rises, 黑 stays high and flat, 绿 falls.
A rainbow in Chinese is 彩虹 (cǎihóng). After rain, look for one together and name the colours from top to bottom.
For heritage and diaspora families
Festivals abroad are a great time to use Chinese colours: red decorations at New Year, colourful lanterns at Mid-Autumn. The word list above prints neatly from your browser if you want a chart for the wall. After colours, try fruits in Chinese to combine colours and foods, or see how colours in Japanese compare.
和孩子一起认识颜色
中文的颜色名字很好记，大多数都是“什么色”：红色、黄色、蓝色、绿色。和孩子玩的时候，可以常常问一问：“这是什么颜色？”孩子回答“红色”，就给他一个大大的笑脸。
在中国，红色代表快乐和好运。过春节的时候，家家户户贴红对联、挂红灯笼，小朋友还会收到红包。和孩子一起找一找家里红色的东西，再画一道彩虹：红、橙、黄、绿、蓝、紫。
How to use this page at home
Say it, then find it
Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: chinese words on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.
Ten minutes is enough
Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.
Use both languages
Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.
