30+ COLORS IN VIETNAMESE AND THEIR MEANING

When you’re learning Vietnamese, color is a very interesting topic that helps you describe things around you and makes your story more interesting. Besides, in Vietnamese culture, each color also has a different meaning. 

Therefore, Jellyfish has synthesized all about colors in Vietnamese in today’s article, which will help a lot in your Vietnamese learning process. Find out now!

I. 30+ common colors in Vietnamese

First of all, ‘color’ in Vietnamese means “màu”. “Màu” is added before the color name in Vietnamese but you can also remove it without changing the meaning of the word. Let’s find out the most common colors in Vietnamese through the table below:

EnglishVietnamese
BlackMàu đen
BlueMàu xanh dương / Màu lam
Baby blueMàu xanh nhạt
Light blueMàu xanh da trời
NavyMàu xanh da trời đậm
MidnightMàu xanh đen
BrownMàu nâu
CaramelMàu nâu cháy
Grey / GrayMàu xám
Light greyMàu xám nhạt
Dark greyMàu xám đậm
GreenMàu xanh lá cây / Màu xanh lục
Dark greenXanh lá cây đậm
ChlorophyllMàu xanh diệp lục
OliveMàu xanh ô-liu
OrangeMàu cam
PurpleMàu tím
GrapeMàu tím thẫm
OrchidMàu tím nhạt
LavenderMàu tím la-ven-đơ
RedMàu đỏ
CherryMàu đỏ anh đào
WineMàu đỏ rượu vang
ReddishMàu đỏ nhạt
PlumMàu đỏ mận
BrickMàu đỏ nâu
WhiteMàu trắng
YellowMàu vàng
Yellowish/ Pale yellowMàu vàng nhạt
Neon yellowMàu vàng neon
PinkMàu hồng
Baby pinkMàu hồng nhạt
SalmonMàu cam san hô
MurreyMàu hồng tím
Neon pink Màu hồng neon
SilverMàu bạc
GoldMàu đồng

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II. What does color mean in Vietnamese? – Colors in Vietnamese

Each color has a different meaning depending on the context in which it is used. Furthermore, each color has multiple meanings in each culture and can change over time. When learning Vietnamese, you will discover that a color can add a variety of meanings/intentions to your sentences. Let’s find out the meaning of colors in Vietnamese culture with Jellyfish:

ColorMeaning in Vietnamese culture
Màu đen (Black)
  • Evil, unlucky
  • Professional
Màu trắng (White)
  • Purity, transparency
  • Death
Màu đỏ (Red)
  • Lucky
  • Enthusiasm, love
Màu vàng (Yellow)
  • Wealth
  • Sincerity
Màu xanh dương (Blue)
  • Peace
  • Hope
Màu hồng (Pink)
  • Cuteness, femininity
  • Icons for women
Màu xám (Grey)
  • Ambiguity
  • Gloom
Màu tím (Purple)
  • Fidelity

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III, Some idioms and phrases about color in Vietnamese

Color idioms and phrases are prevalently used in both spoken and written Vietnamese, making sentences/dialogues more exciting.  Please refer and guess the meaning of the idioms below with Jellyfish!

a. Black

Used to talk about bad luck, unlucky:

  • Đen như mực (As black as ink)
  • Đen như chó (As black as a dog)

Describe the girl’s hair:

  • Đen như gỗ mun (As black as ebony)

b. White

Used to describe skin (especially a girl’s):

  • Trắng như tuyết (As white as snow)
  • Trắng ngà/ Trắng như ngà (As white as elephant’s tusk)
  • Giấy trắng mực đen (Full of evidence, undeniable)
  • Đổi trắng thay đen (Concealing the truth by lying or giving false evidence)

c. Yellow

  • Vàng như nghệ (As yellow as turmeric)

d. Green

  • Xanh như tàu lá chuối (Describe the face of the sick person)

e. Red

  • Đỏ như son (Very lucky)
  • Mặt đỏ tía tai (Express your anger)
  • Đỏ da, thắm thịt (Show good health)

f. Grey

Used to talk about treachery, not respecting what you have received:

  • Bạc tình bạc nghĩa 
  • Bạc như vôi

With today’s article from Jellyfish, we believe that you can completely use the vocabulary of colors in Vietnamese fluently in daily communication with native speakers. When learning Vietnamese, try to use a lot of idioms and phrases about colors, surely Vietnamese people will find you very cool!

If you are looking for a comprehensive Vietnamese course that will help you communicate with native speakers naturally and understand more about Vietnamese culture. Please refer to the special courses at Jellyfish:

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