Colours in Marathi and How They Agree with Nouns
Marathi colour words, and why many change their ending to match the gender of the noun.
Colour words in Marathi come in two groups: some change with the noun, and some don't.
The colours
| English | Marathi | Roman |
|---|---|---|
| red | लाल | lāl |
| blue | निळा | niḷā |
| green | हिरवा | hirvā |
| yellow | पिवळा | piḷā |
| black | काळा | kāḷā |
| white | पांढरा | pāṇḍhrā |
| orange | केशरी | keśarī |
| pink | गुलाबी | gulābī |
| brown | तपकिरी | tapakirī |
| purple | जांभळा | jāmbhaḷā |
रंग (raṅg) means "colour".
Agreement
Colours ending in -आ change like other adjectives:
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|
| निळा | निळी | निळे |
| हिरवा | हिरवी | हिरवे |
| काळा | काळी | काळे |
| पिवळा | पिवळी | पिवळे |
Examples:
- निळा शर्ट — a blue shirt (masculine)
- निळी साडी — a blue sari (feminine)
- निळे आकाश — the blue sky (neuter)
- काळी गाय — a black cow
Colours ending in -ई or a consonant, such as लाल, गुलाबी and केशरी, don't change.
Asking
- हा कोणता रंग आहे? — What colour is this?
- हा लाल रंग आहे. — This is red.
- तुमचा आवडता रंग कोणता आहे? — What is your favourite colour?
- मला निळा रंग आवडतो. — I like blue.
Light and dark
- फिकट — light: फिकट निळा (light blue)
- गडद — dark: गडद हिरवा (dark green)
Colours in culture
केशरी (saffron) is linked with courage and sacrifice. हिरवा (green) is associated with prosperity, and green bangles are traditionally worn by brides in Maharashtra.
Tips
- Learn the agreement pattern.
- Practise with everyday objects.
- Use the dictionary to check forms.
English Marathi Dictionary
Offline English–Marathi dictionary with meanings in proper Devanagari script
More about English Marathi Dictionary
Maharashtrian Festivals: Gudi Padwa, Ganeshotsav and Diwali
The main festivals celebrated in Maharashtra, their Marathi names and greetings, and the words that go with them.
Read article →Marathi Proverbs (म्हणी) and What They Mean
Popular Marathi proverbs with translations and meanings, showing how the language packs wisdom into short phrases.
Read article →Marathi Theatre, Natyasangeet and Cinema
An introduction to Marathi stage and film traditions, from musical drama to modern cinema, with the vocabulary of each.
Read article →Phones and the Internet in Marathi
Marathi vocabulary for phones, computers and the internet, with everyday phrases for calls, messages and Wi-Fi.
Read article →