Colors in Kurdish: How to Say Every Color
Colors are one of the first things you learn in any language. In Kurdish (Kurmanji), color words are straightforward and follow consistent patterns. Here are all 12 essential colors with pronunciation and real examples.
How colors work in Kurdish: Color adjectives come after the noun they describe, not before it like in English. So "red book" becomes pirtûka sor(literally "book red").
Key phrase: "Ev çi reng e?" — "What color is this?"
All 12 Kurdish Colors
How to Use Colors in Sentences
In Kurdish, colors follow the noun. To say something is a color, use the pattern: [thing] + [color] + e (for singular). Here are examples:
How to Ask About Colors
The key question word is "çi reng" (what color). Here are common color questions and answers:
Tricky Pair: Zer vs Zêr
One common confusion for learners is the difference between zer (yellow) and zêr (gold). The only difference is the vowel:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say red in Kurdish?
Red in Kurdish (Kurmanji) is "sor" (pronounced SOHR). For example, "pirtûka sor" means "red book" and "gula sor" means "red flower."
How do you say blue in Kurdish?
Blue in Kurdish (Kurmanji) is "şîn" (pronounced SHEEN). For example, "ava şîn" means "blue water" and "esmanê şîn" means "blue sky."
How do you ask "what color is this" in Kurdish?
You say "Ev çi reng e?" (pronounced "ev chee reng eh"). To answer, say "Ev [color] e" — for example, "Ev sor e" means "this is red."
How many colors are there in Kurdish?
Kurdish has the same range of color words as English. The 12 most common are: sor (red), kesk (green), şîn (blue), zer (yellow), pirteqalî (orange), mor (purple), reş (black), spî (white), gewr (gray), qehweyî (brown), zêr (gold), and zîv (silver).