Colors in Vietnamese, with an easy way to remember them

The basic colors in Vietnamese are đỏ (red), vàng (yellow), xanh (blue or green), trắng (white) and đen (black). The easiest way to remember them is to tie each one to a thing you already know, since many Vietnamese color words are also the names of objects, like cam, which means both orange the color and orange the fruit.

The word for color

Màu (mow, falling tone) means color. To ask what color something is, say Màu gì? (mow ZEE in the North, mow YEE in the South). You'll often hear màu in front of the color: màu đỏ, màu vàng. In casual speech people drop it when it's obvious, so "áo đỏ" is simply "red shirt."

The core colors

• đỏ – red (daw, dipping tone)
• cam – orange (gahm)
• vàng – yellow; also gold (vahng, falling tone; closer to "yahng" in the South)
• xanh lá cây – green (sahn lah KAY)
• xanh dương or xanh da trời – blue
• tím – purple (teem, rising tone)
• hồng – pink (hohm, falling tone)

And the neutrals:

• trắng – white (chahng, rising tone)
• đen – black (den)
• nâu – brown (now)
• xám – gray (sahm, rising tone)

The blue-green word: xanh

The color that confuses learners most is xanh. On its own it can mean blue or green, and context does the work. The sky is xanh. Leaves are xanh. A green traffic light is "đèn xanh."

When you need to be precise, add a reference object:

• xanh lá cây – "leaf xanh," so green
• xanh da trời – "sky xanh," so sky blue
• xanh dương – "ocean xanh," a general blue
• xanh nước biển – "seawater xanh," navy or sea blue

More formal words exist too, like xanh lục (green) and xanh lam (blue), which you'll see in textbooks and on paint charts. Everyday speech leans on the object-based versions.

Memory hooks that work

Many color words double as everyday nouns, which gives you free mnemonics:

• cam is also the orange fruit, so the hook is built in.
• hồng also means rose, as in hoa hồng. Pink like a rose.
• vàng also means gold. Think of a gold necklace for yellow.
• xanh lá cây literally contains "leaf," so green is easy.
• nâu sounds like the English "now." Picture brown coffee you want right now.
• tím sounds a bit like "team." Imagine a team in purple jerseys.

For đỏ and đen, picture a Tết scene: red envelopes (đỏ) against dark (đen) lacquer. Pairing opposites helps them stick together.

Light, dark and bright

Two words change the shade of any color:

• đậm – dark or deep: xanh đậm is dark blue
• nhạt – light or pale: hồng nhạt is pale pink

You'll also hear tươi (fresh, bright), as in đỏ tươi for bright red. Shop clerks use these words constantly, so they're worth learning early.

Gray has a Northern twin

Xám is understood everywhere. In the North you'll also hear ghi for gray, a word usually traced to the French "gris." It shows up when people describe clothes, cars and paint. For more words like that, see Vietnamese words that came from French.

Colors in everyday phrases

• Màu này đẹp quá! – This color is so pretty!
• Có màu khác không? – Do you have another color?
• Tôi thích màu xanh. – I like blue (or green; point if it matters).
• Đỏ mặt – to blush, turn red in the face

Colors and meaning

Some colors carry cultural weight, especially around holidays. Red is the color of luck and celebration, which is why red envelopes, banners and decorations fill homes during Tết. Yellow appears alongside red, and yellow apricot blossoms (hoa mai) are a Tết symbol in the South. White has traditionally been the color of mourning, so you'll see white headbands at funerals. These associations vary by family and are changing over time, but they explain why white wrapping paper is a rare choice for a celebration gift.

Practicing colors with cartoons

Bright cartoons are a fun way to drill colors, because you can pause and name what you see. If you're watching anything in Vietnamese, try naming the color of every object in one scene. The post on learning Vietnamese with cartoons has more ideas for turning screen time into practice.

Pick five things you see every day, like your phone, mug and shoes, and name their colors in Vietnamese each morning until the words come without thinking.