Colours in Indonesian: word list with pictures
12 words · tap 🔊 to hear each one in Indonesian.
| Picture | English | Indonesian | Say it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Merah | |||
| Yellow | Kuning | |||
| Blue | Biru | |||
| Green | Hijau | |||
| Orange | Oranye | |||
| Purple | Ungu | |||
| Pink | Merah muda | |||
| Brown | Cokelat | |||
| Black | Hitam | |||
| White | Putih | |||
| Grey | Abu-abu | |||
| Sky Blue | Biru muda |
Colors in Indonesian are among the easiest words for a young child to learn, because they are short, regular and everywhere. This page has 12 colours with pictures and clear audio: merah (red), kuning (yellow), biru (blue), hijau (green), oranye (orange), ungu (purple), merah muda (pink), cokelat (brown), hitam (black), putih (white), abu-abu (grey) and biru muda (sky blue). The word for colour is warna.
The 12 colours and how they work
| Indonesian | English | Remember it with |
|---|---|---|
| merah | red | the flag, Merah Putih |
| putih | white | rice, nasi putih |
| kuning | yellow | pisang (banana) |
| hijau | green | leaves, daun |
| biru | blue | the sea, laut |
| cokelat | brown | chocolate, which it also means |
| abu-abu | grey | ash (abu) doubled |
Two little words change a colour's shade: muda means young, so light, and tua means old, so dark. Biru muda is light blue and hijau tua is dark green. Merah muda, "young red", is how Indonesians say pink, though children also say pink. Colour words go after the noun: bola merah is a red ball, mobil biru a blue car.
Sing "Balonku Ada Lima"
Almost every Indonesian child knows the song "Balonku Ada Lima" (I have five balloons). It lists balloons that are hijau, kuning, kelabu, merah muda and biru, and then one pops. Sing it while tapping each colour in the game, and your child practises colours and counting to five together. Songs like this are part of every PAUD day. You can also try "Pelangi-Pelangi", a song about the rainbow's merah, kuning, hijau colours.
Colours by age
A 2-3 year old can usually match colours before naming them, so start with "find another red one". In the Indonesian playgroup years (KB), naming five colours is a common goal. At 3-4, children name the main colours and sort toys by colour. At 4-5, they learn shades with muda and tua and describe things: "Apelnya merah" (the apple is red). At 5-6, they can mix paints and explain: merah + kuning = oranye.
Colour games at home
- Colour hunt. Call out "Cari yang kuning!" (Find something yellow!) and race to find it.
- Fruit bowl. Sort fruit by colour, then open our fruits in Indonesian game to name them.
- Batik patterns. Look at a batik shirt together and count the colours. Hari Batik on 2 October is a perfect day for it.
- 17 Agustus. Make a paper Merah Putih flag for Independence Day and name both colours.
- Paint mixing. Mix biru and kuning and watch hijau appear.
If your child mixes up blue and green, relax: many young children do. Keep naming both in daily life. If you notice ongoing difficulty telling colours apart, mention it to your paediatrician. Settings also offer a high-contrast mode. For English colour words, see colours name for kids.
How to use the colours game
Start in Listen mode and tap three colours only, perhaps merah, kuning and biru. Say each one after the audio and point to something in the room with the same colour. When your child is ready, switch to Find it: Golu names a colour in Indonesian and your child taps it. A wrong tap never hears "wrong"; the game says the colour that was tapped and then gently shows the right one. Memory is best for 4-6 year olds who enjoy finding pairs. Every finished round adds a marble to the Goli Jar, and counting the marbles in Indonesian (satu, dua, tiga) is a lovely way to finish. For younger children, the settings can reduce the number of choices and turn on calm sound.
Colours for Indonesian families abroad
Colours are the easiest words to keep alive in a second-language home, because you can use them all day without any special activity. Ask "Mau baju warna apa?" (Which colour shirt do you want?) each morning, name the colours of cars on the way to school, and praise drawings in Indonesian: "Wah, gambarnya warna-warni!" (Wow, your picture is so colourful!). Children who hear English at school may say "blue" first; simply answer "Ya, biru!" and carry on.
Belajar mengenal warna untuk anak
Di halaman ini anak bisa belajar 12 warna: merah, kuning, biru, hijau, oranye, ungu, merah muda, cokelat, hitam, putih, abu-abu, dan biru muda. Sentuh warna untuk mendengar namanya dalam bahasa Indonesia dan bahasa Inggris.
Nyanyikan lagu Balonku Ada Lima sambil menunjuk warna di layar. Setelah itu, ajak anak mencari benda berwarna di rumah, misalnya bola merah atau daun hijau. Warna muda dan tua bisa dikenalkan saat anak sudah hafal warna dasar.
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: indonesian 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.
