Colors in Dutch
Colours are fun, useful early vocabulary — for describing things, shopping and everyday chat. Here's the complete list with how to use them.
De kleuren
Colours are everywhere in daily life. Learn these and you can describe almost anything.
Basic colours
De basiskleuren.
| Dutch | English | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| rood | red | groen | green |
| blauw | blue | geel | yellow |
| zwart | black | wit | white |
| oranje | orange | paars | purple |
| roze | pink | bruin | brown |
| grijs | grey | goud | gold |
Light, dark & using colours
Add licht- (light) or donker- (dark): lichtblauw (light blue), donkergroen (dark green). As adjectives before a noun, colours usually take -e: de rode auto, het groene huis — but een rood huis (het-word + een drops the -e). To ask: ‘Welke kleur is het?’ (what colour is it?).
Build everyday Dutch vocabulary
Dutch Daily teaches colours and everyday words in context with spaced repetition. Free to start.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours in Dutch?
rood (red), blauw (blue), groen (green), geel (yellow), zwart (black), wit (white), oranje (orange), paars (purple), roze (pink), bruin (brown), grijs (grey).
How do you say light and dark colours in Dutch?
Add 'licht-' for light and 'donker-' for dark: lichtblauw (light blue), donkergroen (dark green).
Do colours change form in Dutch?
As adjectives before a noun they usually take -e (de rode auto), except het-words with 'een' (een rood huis). After the verb they don't change: 'Het is rood'.