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Your Guide to Colors in Chinese

ASHLEY LABRIE | NOVEMBER 26, 2019
We use 颜色 (yán sè) - colors - often, like when describing things, like our possessions, what something or someone looks like, or what someone’s wearing. 

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the most useful colors to know in this super handy infographic. Print it out (in color!) and hang it up on the wall! You can also download it as a pdf here.



We’ve also provided even MORE colors, and some helpful example sentences, for you to put these words to use. Make sure you bookmark this page for quick reference!
Colors Vocabulary

Colors: 
  • 粉色 (fěn sè) - pink
  • 红色 (hóng sè) - red
  • 橙色 (chéng sè) - orange
  • 黄色 (huáng sè) - yellow
  • 绿色 (lǜ sè) - green (*BONUS TIP! Learn how to type the character 绿 - lǜ -  here! HINT: It's not just "lu")
  • 蓝色 (lán sè) - blue
  • 紫色 (zǐ sè) - purple
  • 蓝绿色 (lán lǜ sè) - teal
  • 白色 (bái sè) - white
  • 灰色 (huī sè) - gray
  • 褐色 (hè sè) - brown
  • 黑色 (hēi sè) - black
  • 棕色  (zōng sè) - brown
  • 咖啡色 (kā fēi sè) - brown
  • 棕褐色 (zōng hè sè) - tan
  • 金色 (jīn sè) - gold
  • 银色 (yín sè) - silver
  • 古铜色 (gǔ tóng sè) - bronze 


Degrees of colors:

  • 浅色 (qiǎn sè) - light color
  • 深色 (shēn sè) - dark color
  • 浅 ___ (qiǎn) - light ____
  • 深 ___ (shēn) - dark ____
  • 浅蓝色 (qiǎn lán sè) - light blue
  • 深蓝色 (shēn lán sè) - dark blue

Helpful Examples


你最喜欢哪个颜色？(nǐ zuì xǐ huan nǎ ge yán sè) - Which color is your favorite color? / What’s your favorite color?


我最喜欢 ______。(wǒ zuì xǐ huan ___) - I like _____ the most.

To learn more about how to use 最喜欢 (zuì xǐ huan) to express your favorite things, check out this lesson from our Intermediate Conversational Course.

你的车是什么颜色？(nǐ de chē shì shén me yán sè) - What color is your car? 

我的车是_____的。(wǒ de chē shì _____ de) - My car is __________.

他穿着 _____的衣服。(tā chuān zhe  _____ de yī fu) - He’s wearing _____ clothes.

If you want to learn more about why we use 的 (de) to link an adjective and a noun, check out this lesson. 

Just starting out learning Chinese? Check out our Beginner Conversational Course with the first lesson here, and be on your way to conversational fluency in Chinese in just six months!

What’s YOUR favorite color?


你最喜欢哪个颜色？(nǐ zuì xǐ huan nǎ ge yán sè) - What’s YOUR favorite color? 


Let us know in the comments below!