Colors in Chinese – Learn Basic Colors in Chinese

Colors are one of the first topics kids enjoy. Once they know the color words, they can name what they see. They can describe their toys, clothes and food too. This page gives you the words, the sounds, easy sentences and three games to try today.

The 10 basic colors in Chinese

Here are ten common color words in Mandarin. You will often see 色 (sè) at the end of a color name.

Other useful color words

• Pink: 粉红色 (fěnhóngsè), also 粉色 (fěnsè)
• Orange: 橙色 (chéngsè), also 橘色 (júsè)
• Brown: 棕色 (zōngsè), also 咖啡色 (kāfēisè)

These are common alternatives. How people use them can vary a little from place to place.

Watch this short video to hear all the colors. Listen first, then say each one out loud.

Say it in a sentence: color + 的 + object

To describe an object, put the color before the object. You can use 的 (de) between them: 红色的苹果 (hóngsè de píngguǒ), a red apple. Look at these examples.

Colors you can find around you

These short, familiar phrases are easy to spot in pictures and in real life. Color words often go straight in front of the noun.

Two sentences every beginner needs

These two questions and answers cover most everyday color talk.

这是什么颜色？
Zhè shì shénme yánsè?
What color is this?

这是红色的。
Zhè shì hóngsè de.
It is red.

你喜欢什么颜色？
Nǐ xǐhuan shénme yánsè?
What color do you like?

我喜欢红色、蓝色和白色。
Wǒ xǐhuan hóngsè, lánsè hé báisè.
I like red, blue and white.

A fun Chinese color tongue twister

This tongue twister practises the sounds in 红 (hóng, red) and 粉 (fěn, pink). Listen first. Then say it slowly. When you can say it clearly, try it a little faster.

The tricky part is the order of the sounds. 粉红 (fěnhóng) is a common word for pink. In this tongue twister, 红粉 (hóng fěn) puts red and pink together for fun. These lines are made for pronunciation practice, not everyday conversation, so the English translations are approximate.

3 easy ways to practise at home or in class

1. Color hunt. Say “找一个红色的东西！” (Zhǎo yí ge hóngsè de dōngxi!). It means “Find something red!” Your child finds a red object in the room and brings it to you. Then try “找一个蓝色的东西！” (Zhǎo yí ge lánsè de dōngxi!), “Find something blue!”

2. Match the color. Put colored cards or papers on a table. Say a Chinese color word. Your child points to the matching card. Start with three colors, and add more as your child feels ready.

3. Listen, color and say. Give your child a simple picture. Say “给太阳涂黄色” (gěi tàiyáng tú huángsè), “Color the sun yellow.” Start with one instruction at a time. Afterwards, ask “这是什么颜色？” and let them answer, for example “黄色的太阳” (huángsè de tàiyáng, a yellow sun). Short, frequent practice works better than one long session.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1: Trying to learn all ten colors at once.
Start with three or four colors. Add more when your child can recognize and say the first group with confidence.

Mistake 2: Relying only on pinyin.
Pinyin shows the tone, but it cannot replace listening. Play the video and repeat after it.

Mistake 3: Trying to memorize every grammar rule.
You do not need to. Practise the full pattern from the examples above, and the short forms will come naturally. Don’t overthink it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep learning

• Fruit in Chinese – Learn Basic Fruit Names in Chinese — practise colors by describing fruit
• Chinese Numbers for Kids: 1–100, Counting, and Everyday Uses
• Chinese Measure Words: A Complete Guide for Kids and Beginners
• How to Say Autumn in Chinese: 秋天 (qiū tiān)

These Chinese4kids resources go with this topic. Start with the first group, which matches the words in this lesson.

Most relevant: learn and practise the color words

• Paint the World in Chinese: Colors Flashcard Set — 10 color vocabulary cards, 10 sentence cards and an audio file with native pronunciation. It helps children recognize the words, practise sentences and hear the correct sounds.
• My Chinese Books of Colorful Fruits and Vegetables — 6 mini books, one for each color group, with matching and sorting worksheets.
• Colors in Chinese Posters — one poster with all the colors, a color word wall for each color, and vocabulary posters that list objects in each color.
• Chinese Basic Vocabulary Poster Bundle — 10 printable posters, including colors, for a wall or learning corner.

Related learning resources

For teachers

• Lesson 02: Color 颜色 — a ready-made lesson on colors. Lesson 10: Toys 玩具 then reviews colors and adds white, black and brown. Buy the lessons on their own, or get them through the Membership.
• Chinese Teaching Made Easy Membership — access to all the lessons and their materials, so you do not have to plan from scratch.

For reading practice

Start with the Level aa books, which use 1–3 words per page. Try the Level B book when your child is ready for longer sentences. You can find all levels on the Leveled Readers page. The following titles are for your reference

• 红色 Red
• 蓝色 Blue
• 绿色 Green
• 紫色 Purple
• 彩蛋 Colorful Eggs
• 颜色 Colors (Level B)

For “Listen, color and say” practice

Let your child color a page, then ask “这是什么颜色？”

• Color and Learn Chinese Vocabulary Workbook: Seasons — worksheets and a mini book to color and assemble.
• Planets Color and Trace Chinese Practice Worksheets — a trace-and-color page for each planet.
• Continents Coloring Pages — outline maps of the 7 continents, with Chinese names and pinyin.
• Chinese Monthly Coloring Pages — 12 coloring pages, one for each month.

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