Colours and Shapes in English and Hindi, and How Hindi Colour Words Change

Colour and shape words are useful for describing objects, clothes and places. They also show a Hindi grammar feature that English learners need to know: adjectives can change form.

Colours

English	Hindi
red	लाल
blue	नीला
green	हरा
yellow	पीला
black	काला
white	सफ़ेद
orange	नारंगी
pink	गुलाबी
brown	भूरा
purple	बैंगनी

Adjectives that agree with the noun

Many Hindi adjectives ending in -ा change according to the noun:

Masculine singular	Feminine	Masculine plural
नीला	नीली	नीले
काला	काली	काले
पीला	पीली	पीले

Examples:

• a blue shirt — नीली कमीज़ (कमीज़ is feminine)
• a blue kurta — नीला कुर्ता (कुर्ता is masculine)
• black hair — काले बाल
• a yellow flower — पीला फूल
• a red dress — लाल पोशाक

Colours ending in other sounds, like लाल and गुलाबी, don't change.

Shapes

English	Hindi
circle	गोला, वृत्त
square	वर्ग, चौकोर
triangle	त्रिभुज
rectangle	आयत
line	रेखा

Describing things

• The sky is blue. — आसमान नीला है।
• The leaves are green. — पत्ते हरे हैं।
• I like the red one. — मुझे लाल वाला पसंद है।

Tips

1. Learn colours with a noun, not on their own.
2. Remember that adjectives ending in -ा change.
3. Look for colours around your room and say them aloud.

Look up any word with English Hindi Dictionary →