Colors in Hebrew Language: All Forms
Colors are one of the first things we learn when studying a new language — they are everywhere around us, embedded in culture, emotion, and daily speech. In Hebrew, learning colors (צבעים tzeva’im) offers a wonderful window into the way the language expresses description, gender, and agreement.
Because Hebrew is a gendered and inflected language, color adjectives change form depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe. In this article, we’ll explore not only the basic color names in Hebrew, but also their masculine, feminine, plural, and sometimes irregular forms — along with examples and cultural notes to deepen your understanding.
The Basics: How Colors Work in Hebrew
In Hebrew, colors are adjectives. This means they must agree with the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). The masculine form is the dictionary form — the one you’ll usually find in vocabulary lists. To make a color feminine, plural, or both, we adjust the endings according to Hebrew grammatical rules.
- Masculine singular: The base form (e.g., kaxol כָּחוֹל – blue)
- Feminine singular: Often ends in -ah (e.g., kexulah כְּחוּלָה – blue, feminine)
- Masculine plural: Often ends in -im (e.g., kexulim כְּחוּלִים – blue, masculine plural)
- Feminine plural: Often ends in -ot (e.g., kexulot כְּחוּלוֹת – blue, feminine plural)
Let’s look at a full table of the most common colors.
Common Hebrew Colors and Their Forms
| English | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | שָׁחוֹר | שְׁחוֹרָה | שְׁחוֹרִים | שְׁחוֹרוֹת | shachor, shchorah |
| White | לָבָן | לְבָנָה | לְבָנִים | לְבָנוֹת | lavan, levanah |
| Red | אָדוֹם | אֲדֻמָּה | אֲדֻמִּים | אֲדֻמּוֹת | adom, adumah |
| Blue | כָּחוֹל | כְּחוּלָה | כְּחוּלִים | כְּחוּלוֹת | kaxol, kexulah |
| Green | יָרוֹק | יְרוּקָה | יְרוּקִים | יְרוּקוֹת | yarok, yerukah |
| Yellow | צָהוֹב | צְהוּבָה | צְהוּבִים | צְהוּבוֹת | tzahov, tz’hubah |
| Brown | חוּם | חוּמָה | חוּמִים | חוּמוֹת | chum, chumah |
| Gray | אָפוֹר | אֲפוֹרָה | אֲפוֹרִים | אֲפוֹרוֹת | afor, aforah |
| Orange | כָּתֹם | כְּתֻמָּה | כְּתֻמִּים | כְּתֻמּוֹת | katom, ktumah |
| Purple | סָגוֹל | סְגוּלָה | סְגוּלִים | סְגוּלוֹת | sagol, sgulah |
| Pink | וָרוֹד | וְרוּדָה | וְרוּדִים | וְרוּדוֹת | varod, vrudah |
| Gold | זָהָב | זְהֻבָּה | זְהֻבִּים | זְהֻבּוֹת | zahav, zehubah |
| Silver | כֶּסֶף | כְּסֻפָּה | כְּסֻפִּים | כְּסֻפוֹת | kesef, ksufah |
Note: Not all colors follow this pattern perfectly — some have irregular or borrowed forms. For instance, modern Hebrew sometimes borrows directly from English (like turkiz טורקיז – turquoise or בורדו bordo – burgundy) without inflection.
Gender Agreement in Sentences
Let’s look at how colors change in real Hebrew sentences. Suppose we have two nouns:
- סֵפֶר (sefer – book, masculine)
- מִכְתָּבָה (mikhtavah – desk, feminine)
Now see how the adjective changes:
- הַסֵּפֶר הָאָדוֹם – ha-sefer ha-adom – “the red book”
- הַמִּכְתָּבָה הָאֲדֻמָּה – ha-mikhtavah ha-adumah – “the red desk”
If we’re talking about plural nouns, the adjectives shift again:
- הַסְּפָרִים הָאֲדֻמִּים – ha-sfarim ha-adumim – “the red books”
- הַמִּכְתָּבוֹת הָאֲדֻמּוֹת – ha-mikhtavot ha-adumot – “the red desks”
This agreement system applies to every color and every descriptive adjective in Hebrew.
Colors as Nouns vs. Adjectives
Interestingly, Hebrew allows you to use colors as nouns in some contexts — especially when you’re talking about color as a concept or a category, not as a description.
- אֲנִי אוֹהֵב אֶת הַכָּחוֹל – Ani ohev et ha-kaxol – “I love blue.”
- הַצֶּבַע הַאַהוּב עָלַי הוּא לָבָן – Ha-tzeva ha-ahuv alai hu lavan – “My favorite color is white.”
In these sentences, ha-kaxol and lavan function as nouns, even though they originated as adjectives. The word צֶבַע(tzeva) literally means “color,” and you’ll hear it often in daily conversation and advertising:
צֶבַע חָדָשׁ לַקִּיר! – “A new color for the wall!”
Irregular and Borrowed Colors
Modern Hebrew has incorporated a number of borrowed color words, especially from English and French. These typically don’t change form by gender or number, which makes them easier for learners:
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beige | בֵּ׳ז׳ | bezh | Invariable |
| Turquoise | טוּרְקִיז | turkiz | Invariable |
| Bordeaux | בּוֹרְדוֹ | bordo | Invariable |
| Silver (metallic) | סִילְבֶּר | silber | From English |
| Cream | קְרִים | krim | Common in design and paint |
When used in speech, these borrowed adjectives generally remain unchanged, regardless of gender or number:
- שֻׁלְחָן טוּרְקִיז – shulchan turkiz – “a turquoise table”
- כִּסְאוֹת טוּרְקִיז – kise’ot turkiz – “turquoise chairs”
Shades and Descriptions
Just like in English, Hebrew has many ways to describe shades of color. Here are a few common modifiers:
- בָּהִיר (bahir) – light
- כֵּהֶה (keheh) – dark
- חָזָק (chazak) – strong or vivid
- רַךְ (rach) – soft or pale
Examples:
- כָּחוֹל בָּהִיר – light blue
- יָרוֹק כֵּהֶה – dark green
- אָדוֹם חָזָק – bright red
- וָרוֹד רַךְ – soft pink
Combining these with the color words you already know allows you to express subtle differences — crucial for artists, designers, or anyone passionate about color.
Symbolism and Culture of Colors in Hebrew
Colors carry symbolic meaning in Hebrew and Israeli culture, much like in other societies:
- לָבָן (white) – purity, peace, simplicity. The Israeli flag uses white as a symbol of peace.
- כָּחוֹל (blue) – divine protection and faith, inspired by the tekhelet dye mentioned in the Torah and the blue stripes on the Israeli flag.
- אָדוֹם (red) – passion, love, but also danger or warning.
- שָׁחוֹר (black) – formality, authority, or sometimes mourning.
- יָרוֹק (green) – nature, growth, and renewal.
- זָהָב (gold) – wealth and prestige, often used metaphorically (לב זהב – “a heart of gold”).
Understanding these associations can deepen your appreciation of Hebrew literature, idioms, and daily expressions.
Color Expressions in Hebrew
Here are a few fun idioms and phrases using colors:
- לָבָן כַּשֶּׁלֶג (lavan ka-sheleg) – “white as snow”
- קוֹל עָלוֹת יָרוֹק (kol alot yarok) – literally “green light,” meaning “permission to go ahead”
- יוֹם שָׁחוֹר (yom shachor) – “a dark day,” meaning a very bad day
- כְּתוּב בְּשָׁחוֹר עַל גָּבֵי לָבָן (katuv be-shachor al gabei lavan) – “written in black on white,” meaning something clearly stated
These expressions show how colors in Hebrew are woven into both literal and metaphorical language.
Practice Tips for Learners
- Label objects in your environment with sticky notes in Hebrew (e.g., שולחן כחול – blue table).
- Describe your clothes daily using Hebrew adjectives that match gender and number.
- Listen for colors in Hebrew songs and commercials — they appear often!
- Use flashcards with all four forms of each color to strengthen pattern recognition.
Conclusion
Learning colors in Hebrew isn’t just about memorizing vocabulary — it’s about understanding how adjectives behave, how Hebrew conveys agreement, and how culture influences expression. From adom (red) to kaxol (blue) and beyond, colors give you a vibrant way to bring life to your sentences. By practicing both the forms and their cultural nuances, you’ll find yourself speaking Hebrew with more confidence, precision, and color — literally!
צְבָעִים שְׂמֵחִים! – Tzeva’im smechim! – Happy coloring!
