Red = 빨강 / 빨갛다, blue = 파랑 / 파랗다. Korean distinguishes noun and adjective-verb forms. Here are all the useful colors.
Basic colors (nouns)
The noun form (no 다 ending). Used on its own, with 색 ("color"), or to qualify an object: 빨강 차 ("red car").
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 빨강 | ppalgang | red |
| 주황 | juhwang | orange |
| 노랑 | norang | yellow |
| 초록 | chorok | green |
| 파랑 | parang | blue |
| 남색 | namsaek | navy blue, indigo |
| 보라 | bora | purple, mauve |
| 분홍 | bunhong | pink |
| 갈색 | galsaek | brown |
| 검정 | geomjeong | black |
| 하양 | hayang | white |
| 회색 | hoesaek | gray |
Adjective-verbs (-다 forms)
To SAY that something IS a color, Korean uses a stative verb. Most are ㅎ-irregular and change shape when conjugated (빨갛다 → 빨개요 / 파랗다 → 파래요).
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 빨갛다 | ppalgata | to be red (ㅎ-irregular) |
| 노랗다 | norata | to be yellow (ㅎ-irregular) |
| 파랗다 | parata | to be blue (ㅎ-irregular) |
| 까맣다 | kkamata | to be black (ㅎ-irregular, more colloquial than 검다) |
| 하얗다 | hayata | to be white (ㅎ-irregular) |
| 검다 | geomda | to be black (more formal register) |
| 푸르다 | pureuda | to be blue-green, azure (literary, the blue of the sea or sky) |
| 붉다 | bukda | to be deep red, scarlet (literary) |
Shades, gradients and loanwords
To get a more precise shade, combine 진한 (dark) or 연한 (pale) with the color. Most modern shades are English loanwords followed by 색.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 진한 빨강 | jinhan ppalgang | dark red |
| 연한 파랑 | yeonhan parang | pale blue |
| 하늘색 | haneulsaek | sky blue (literally "sky color") |
| 베이지색 | beijisaek | beige |
| 민트색 | minteusaek | mint green |
| 카키색 | kakisaek | khaki |
| 네이비색 | neibisaek | navy blue |
| 핑크색 | pingkeusaek | pink (loanword) |
| 은색 | eunsaek | silver |
| 금색 | geumsaek | gold |
| 투명 | tumyeong | transparent |
| 색 | saek | color (suffix) (attaches after a color or object) |
Common expressions with colors
How people actually describe things in daily life: conjugated adjective form + noun.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 빨간 사과 | ppalgan sagwa | a red apple |
| 파란 하늘 | paran haneul | a blue sky |
| 검은 머리 | geomeun meori | black hair |
| 하얀 눈 | hayan nun | white snow |
| 노란 옷 | noran ot | yellow clothing |
| 초록 잎 | chorok ip | green leaf |
| 분홍색 가방 | bunhongsaek gabang | pink bag |
| 회색 구름 | hoesaek gureum | gray cloud |
| 무슨 색이에요? | museun saekieyo? | What color is it? |
| 제일 좋아하는 색 | jeil joahaneun saek | favorite color |
Frequently asked questions
Why does each Korean color have two forms?
Korean uses stative verbs to describe things: "to be red" is a verb (빨갛다) that conjugates like any other verb. The noun form (빨강) is for naming the color in the abstract. It's the same distinction as English "red" (adjective) vs "the color red" (noun), except in Korean the adjective is an actual conjugated verb form.
How do you say "my favorite color" in Korean?
Say 제일 좋아하는 색 (jeil joahaneun saek), literally "the color I like the most", or shorter 좋아하는 색 (joahaneun saek). To specify which one: 제 좋아하는 색은 파랑이에요 ("my favorite color is blue").
How does the ㅎ-irregular conjugation work for colors?
The adjective-verbs 빨갛다, 노랗다, 파랗다, 까맣다, 하얗다 drop their ㅎ and merge with the following vowel: 빨갛다 + 아요 becomes 빨개요 (not "빨가아요"). For the determinant form, keep the stem without ㅎ: 빨간 사과 ("red apple").
What's the difference between 검정 and 까맣다?
검정 is the NOUN ("black, the color black"); 까맣다 is the ADJECTIVE-VERB ("to be black"). 까맣다 is more colloquial and expressive than its formal equivalent 검다. In formal writing you'll see 검은 ("black", as a modifier), in speech 까만.