Colors aren’t just adjectives. They are state of mind. Red is not only the color of the blood, it’s passion. Blue is not only the color of the sky, it’s clarity. Green it’s not only the color of the grass, it’s prosperity. No wonder colors are among the first words every language learner memorizes

And here are the colors in Hebrew:

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
White	לָבָן	La-van
Pink	וָרֹוד	Va-rod
Red	אָדֹום	A-dom
Brown	חוּם	Hom
Orange	כָּתֹום	Ka-tom
Yellow	צָהֹוב	Tza-hov
Light green	יָרֹוק בָּהִיר	Ya-rok ba-hir
Green	יָרֹוק	Ya-rok
Light blue	תְּכֵלֶת	Te-che-let
Blue	כָּחֹול	Ka-chol
Purple	סָגֹול	Sa-gol
Grey	אָפֹור	A-for
Black	שָׁחֹור	Sha-chor

 

Basic terms and rules

Color = צֶבַע (tze-va)

Colors = צְבָעִים (tze-va-im)

Light = בָּהִיר (ba-hir)

In the chart above there is light green יָרֹוק בָּהִיר. But one can add the adjective בָּהִיר to any color to describe a lighter shade. סָגֹול בָּהִיר, for example, will be lighter than just סָגֹול.

Dark = כֵּהֶה (ke-he)

The same rule goes with the opposite adjective of בָּהִיר –

כֵּהֶה.

כָּחוֹל כֵּהֶה  will be darker than just כָּחֹול.

 

Sentences for practice

אֲחוֹתׅי הַצְּעׅירָה הִיא בַּחוּרָה טִיפּוּסִית: הׅיא אוֹהֶבֶת אֶת הַצְּבָעׅים אָדֹום וּוָרוֹד.

A-ho-ti ha-tze-i-ra hi ba-chu-ra ti-pu-sit: hi o-he-vet et ha-tze-va-im a-dom ve-va-rod.

My young sister is a typical girl: she likes the colors red and pink.

 

לְאָח שֶׁלִּי יֵשׁ שֵׂעָר שָׁחֹור וְעֵינַיִים יְרוּקוֹת.

Le-ah she-li yesh se-ar sha-hor ve-ei-na-im ye-ru-kot.

My brother has black hair and green eyes.

 

לִכְבוֹד יוֹם הַהוּלֶדֶת שֶׁלָּהּ קָנִיתִי לָהּ שִׂמְלָה אֲרוּכָּה בְּצֶבַע תְּכֵלֶת.

Lich-vod yom ha-hu-le-det she-la ka-ni-ti la sim-la a-ru-ka be-tze-va te-che-let.

I bought a pale blue long dress for her birthday.

 

כְּשֶׁשָּׁחוֹר דּוֹהֶה הוּא הוֹפֵךְ לְאָפֹור.

Ke-she-sha-chor do-e hu ho-fech le-a-for.

When black fades it becomes grey.

 

אָדָם עִיוֵור צְבָעִים עָלוּל לֹא לְהַבְחִין בֵּין חוּם לְאָדֹום.

A-dam i-ver tze-va-im a-lul lo le-hav-chin be-ein hom le-a-dom.

Color blind people may not distinguish between red and brown.

 

מִכָּחֹול וְצָהֹוב יוֹצֵא יָרֹוק.

Mi-ka-chol ve-tza-hov yo-tze ya-rok.

Blue and yellow make green.