Colors in Vietnamese: Red, Blue, Green and Every Color Word
Red in Vietnamese is đỏ, green is xanh lá, blue is xanh dương. Every color word with pronunciation, plus the quirk where one word covers both blue and green.
Colors use màu + color: màu đỏ (red), màu vàng (yellow), màu đen (black), màu trắng (white). A fun quirk: xanh covers both blue and green, say xanh dương for blue and xanh lá for green when you need to be specific.
Colors are a quick, satisfying vocabulary win, and Vietnamese has one charming surprise that English doesn't.
Color words
| Color | Vietnamese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| red | đỏ | daw |
| orange | cam | kam |
| yellow | vàng | vahng |
| green | xanh lá | sanh la |
| blue | xanh dương | sanh zuong |
| purple | tím | teem |
| pink | hồng | hohng |
| brown | nâu | noh |
| black | đen | den |
| white | trắng | chang |
| grey | xám | sahm |
| silver | bạc | bak |
| gold | vàng kim | vahng kim |
To name a color, add màu ("color") in front: màu đỏ = "the color red." The marks on đỏ, trắng, and hồng are letter and tone marks from the Vietnamese alphabet; they change both the vowel and the pitch.
Quick answers: red, green, blue and friends
The one-line answers people ask for most:
- Red in Vietnamese is đỏ (say "daw"); with the color word it's màu đỏ.
- Green in Vietnamese is xanh lá (or xanh lá cây, "leaf green").
- Blue in Vietnamese is xanh dương ("ocean blue").
- Black is đen and white is trắng.
- Grey in Vietnamese is xám, and pink is hồng.
The blue/green quirk (xanh)
Here's the memorable part: Vietnamese traditionally uses one word, xanh, for both blue and green. Context usually makes it clear, but to be specific:
- xanh dương, blue ("ocean blue")
- xanh lá (cây), green ("leaf green")
It's a great reminder that languages carve up the world differently.
Using colors in a sentence
Remember from Vietnamese sentence structure that adjectives follow the noun:
- áo đỏ, "shirt red" (a red shirt)
- xe màu xanh, "car color blue/green"
Light & dark shades
Add đậm (dark) or nhạt (light) after the color:
- xanh đậm, dark blue/green
- đỏ nhạt, light red (pinkish)
Pair these with basic phrases when shopping or describing things.
Sources
- Vietnamese color vocabulary verified against standard references (Wiktionary) for spelling and meaning, including the xanh (blue/green) distinction with xanh dương and xanh lá.
Interactive lessons with listening, typing and speaking exercises. Free, no account.
Common questions
Use 'màu' plus the color: màu đỏ (red), màu vàng (yellow), màu đen (black), màu trắng (white), màu xanh (blue/green). 'Màu' means 'color.'
Red is 'đỏ' (daw), or 'màu đỏ' with the word for color. It's a culturally important color in Vietnam, associated with luck and the national flag.
The word 'xanh' covers both. To specify, you add a word: 'xanh dương' (blue, literally 'ocean blue') and 'xanh lá' or 'xanh lá cây' (green, 'leaf green').
'Màu' means color. You place it before the color word, as in 'màu đỏ' (the color red).
Green is 'xanh lá' or 'xanh lá cây' (leaf green). Plain 'xanh' can mean green or blue, so add 'lá' when you specifically mean green.
Blue is 'xanh dương' (ocean blue), or 'xanh da trời' (sky blue). Plain 'xanh' covers both blue and green, so the extra word makes it unambiguous.