Learn the Vietnamese colours
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Sign up for freeYou want to learn how to say the colours in Vietnamese? Then this is the perfect course for you! In the following tables, you can find all the important colours including the colour shades and hair colours in the Vietnamese language. Moreover, we will discuss with you the specific meanings behind certain colours.
Lesson outline
HideColours in Vietnamese
'Màu' is the word for colour and you use it in combination with the different colours when you don't describe an object directly. Therefore, if you are referring to someone or something, you can just use the colour. Only when it comes to the colour yellow and orange, you have to distinguish them clearly as the two combinations mean something different: màu vàng (yellow), vàng (gold) / màu cam (orange) / cam (orange fruit).
| Colour | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
 | black | đen |
 | white | trắng |
 | grey | xám |
 | red | đỏ |
 | purple | tím |
 | brown | nâu |
 | pink | hồng |
 /  | blue / green | xanh |
 | yellow | màu vàng |
 | orange | màu cam |
 | silver | xám bạc |
In Vietnamese xanh is used to refer both to the colours blue and green. If you want to make the difference clear, use xanh da trời for sky blue and xanh lá cây for tree leaves green.
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Minh Thanh P. 
毅華 林. 
Quynh C.
Tra My T.
The colour shades
To indicate the shade of a colour, use nhạt for light and đậm for dark. They are placed after the colour:
| Colour | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
 | dark blue | xanh đậm |
 | light blue | xanh nhạt |
The hair colours
If you refer to a hair colour, use tóc in front of the colour. It literally means hair.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| blond | tóc vàng |
| brown | tóc nâu |
| black | tóc đen |
| red | tóc đỏ |
| grey | tóc hoa râm |
Vietnamese colour meanings
The colours have different meanings in the Vietnamese culture, than in most European countries. E.g. on a funeral in Vietnam everybody is dressed in white.
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| black | dark, evil, filth |
| white | purity, death, the end |
| red | happiness, luck, celebration, love |
| yellow | wealth, prosperity, royalty, happiness, change |
| green | jealousy, lust |
| blue | calmness, hope, growth |
| pink | femininity |
| purple | nostalgia, sadness, fragility, tenderness |
Summary
You will hopefully be able to name all the different colours and their meanings in Vietnamese now! Test your knowledge with our free exercises!