Arabic Colors for Kids
Learn 12 essential colors with pronunciation and examples from nature
Quick Color Reference Table
Press a speaker to listen, then find something in that color. These are the masculine names; see feminine examples below.
| Color | Arabic | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
أحمر | Red | Ahmar | |
أزرق | Blue | Azraq | |
أخضر | Green | Akhdar | |
أصفر | Yellow | Asfar | |
برتقالي | Orange | Burtuqaali | |
بنفسجي | Purple | Banafsaji | |
وردي | Pink | Wardi | |
أبيض | White | Abyad | |
أسود | Black | Aswad | |
بني | Brown | Bunni | |
رمادي | Gray | Ramaadi | |
ذهبي | Gold | Dhahabi |
Colour and learn: six color worksheets
Six free PDF pages: a big shape to colour in each colour, and tracing lines for the colour's name in Arabic and English. No signup.
Learning colors is one of the first vocabulary skills children acquire — colors are everywhere: in food, clothes, nature, and toys. Teaching your child color names in Arabic opens a wide door to vocabulary building, because colors describe almost everything: the apple is red, the sky is blue, the grass is green.
In Arabic, color names change based on the gender of the noun they describe (masculine or feminine). The names listed here are the basic masculine form that children learn first; we'll explain the feminine simply in a moment.
Each Color, One by One
The color of strawberries, fire trucks, and hearts — one of the first colors children recognize.
The color of the sky and the sea. Arabic even has words for light blue (سماوي) and navy (كحلي).
The color of trees and grass, and a color with special meaning in Arab and Islamic culture.
The color of the sun, bananas, and desert sand — a bright, cheerful color children love.
Named after the fruit! The Arabic for the fruit is برتقال, and the color borrows the same name.
Named after the violet flower (بنفسج) — a color long linked with royalty and luxury.
From ورد (ward) meaning "rose" — so wardi literally means "rose-colored".
The color of clouds, snow, and milk, and a symbol of purity and peace in Arab culture.
The color of the night sky and the pupil of the eye.
The color of chocolate, coffee, and soil — from بن (bunn) meaning "coffee beans".
The color of rain clouds and elephants — from رماد (ramaad) meaning "ash".
The color of gold and treasure — from ذهب (dhahab) meaning "gold".
Colors in Nature
The easiest way to fix a color in a child's mind is to tie it to something they see every day. Link each color to a nature example, and repeat it on your walks.
Masculine & Feminine — Simply Explained for Parents
In Arabic, each basic color has two forms: one for masculine and one for feminine nouns. We say "qalam ahmar" (a red pen) because pen is masculine, and "sayyaara hamraa" (a red car) because car is feminine. Same color, but the ending changes: ahmar becomes hamraa, azraq becomes zarqaa, akhdar becomes khadraa, asfar becomes safraa.
You do not need to memorise the rule before playing. Name the color on its own: ahmar. Then use a phrase with something nearby: qalam ahmar (a red pen) or tuffaaha hamraa (a red apple). Repeat the whole phrase while pointing to the object.
Fun Activities to Learn Colors
🎨 'I Spy' Game
Say "I spy something ahmar (red)!" and let your child find red objects in the room. Then swap roles.
🔍 Color Hunt
Pick one color for the day, say blue, and hunt for it together all day: a blue cup, a blue shirt, a blue sky. Name each one in Arabic as you spot it.
🖍️ Coloring in Arabic
While coloring, name each color in Arabic: "Let's use azraq for the sky!"
🍎 Food Colors
During meals, talk about food colors in Arabic: "The banana is asfar! The apple is hamraa!"
Complete: tuffaaha ___ (ahmar or hamraa?). Reveal the answer
Tuffaaha hamraa — تفاحة حمراء, a red apple. Tuffaaha is feminine, so use hamraa. Compare qalam ahmar — قلم أحمر, a red pen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arabic Colors
What does burtuqaali (برتقالي) mean?+
Burtuqaali means orange in Arabic. It is named after the fruit — burtuqaal (برتقال) is the Arabic word for an orange, and the color borrows the same name, just like in English.
How do you say the main colors in Arabic for kids?+
Red is ahmar, blue is azraq, green is akhdar, yellow is asfar, orange is burtuqaali, purple is banafsaji, pink is wardi, white is abyad, black is aswad, and brown is bunni.
What is yellow in Arabic?+
Yellow in Arabic is asfar (أصفر) for masculine nouns and safraa (صفراء) for feminine nouns. It is the color of the sun, bananas, and desert sand.
What is pink in Arabic?+
Pink in Arabic is wardi (وردي). It comes from the word ward (ورد) meaning rose, so wardi literally means rose-colored.
What is purple (violet) in Arabic?+
Purple in Arabic is banafsaji (بنفسجي), named after the banafsaj (بنفسج) — the violet flower.
What is brown in Arabic?+
Brown in Arabic is bunni (بني). It comes from bunn (بُنّ) meaning coffee beans.
How many colors should I teach my child in Arabic first?+
Start with four or five basic colors — red, blue, green, yellow, and maybe orange. Name them on toys or clothes nearby. Use short phrases with the appropriate form, such as qalam ahmar (a red pen) or tuffaaha hamraa (a red apple), and add more colors as you go.
Do Arabic color names change for masculine and feminine?+
Yes. Each basic color has a masculine and a feminine form — ahmar becomes hamraa, azraq becomes zarqaa. Use the masculine name when naming a color on its own, and model both forms in short phrases such as qalam ahmar (a red pen) and tuffaaha hamraa (a red apple).