Learn Hebrew: Hebrew Colors

Learning colors is a foundational step in mastering Hebrew because these adjectives allow you to describe everything from the clothes you wear to the scenery around you. This lesson covers a wide range of hues, from primary colors like אָדוֹם (adom), meaning red, and כָּחוֹל (kachol), meaning blue, to more specific shades like אֲפַרְסֵק (afarsek) for peach and בּוּרְדּוֹ (burdo) for bordeaux. You will also learn how to differentiate between intensities using the modifiers כֵּהֶה (kehe), meaning dark, and בָּהִיר (bahir), meaning light. For example, navy blue is expressed as כָּחוֹל כֵּהֶה (kachol kehe), while light green is יָרוֹק בָּהִיר (yarok bahir).

In Hebrew, colors function as adjectives and typically follow the noun they describe. While this list focuses on the singular masculine forms, it is helpful to notice the phonetic patterns many of these words share. For instance, several common colors follow a similar vowel structure, such as יָרוֹק (yarok) for green and שָׁחוֹר (shachor) for black. Additionally, Hebrew includes specific terms for certain shades that are distinct from their base colors, such as תְּכֵלֶת (tchelet), which refers specifically to light blue. Mastering these terms will significantly expand your ability to provide detail and nuance when speaking about the world around you.