What is the difference between 파란색 and 파랗다?

파란색 is a noun, "the color blue": use it with 이에요, with 으로, or in front of another noun (파란색 가방). 파랗다 is an adjective, "to be blue", and it conjugates: 하늘이 파래요. Its modifier form is 파란, which also goes straight in front of a noun, so 파란 가방 and 파란색 가방 are both correct and interchangeable. Five colors have this ㅎ-irregular adjective pair: 빨갛다, 파랗다, 노랗다, 하얗다, 까맣다. There are also the regular adjectives 검다 (black), 희다 (white) and 푸르다 (blue-green), mostly used in writing. Orange, purple, brown, gray and navy exist as nouns only.

Is 초록색 or 녹색 the right word for green?

Both are correct for the same color. 초록색 is the everyday spoken choice — 초록색 티셔츠, 초록색 신호등. 녹색 sounds official and appears in written or institutional language: 녹색 성장, 녹색어머니회, road signage. Note also 연두색, a yellowish light green like new leaves, which Koreans treat as its own color rather than a pale 초록색.

Should I say 하얀색 or 흰색 for white?

Either one; both are standard. 흰색 is the neutral, written-looking form you see on clothing tags, paint cans and forms, and it is pronounced [힌색]. 하얀색 comes from the adjective 하얗다 and feels softer and more spoken, so it is common when you are describing something in front of you. Black splits the same way: 검은색 (or 검정색) is the standard choice, 까만색 is the everyday spoken one.

How do I ask what color something is in Korean?

Say 무슨 색이에요? ("What color is it?") in polite speech, or 무슨 색이야? with close friends. 무슨 색깔이에요? is just as natural and a shade more casual. To ask about preferences: 무슨 색 좋아해요?, or 무슨 색 좋아하세요? when you want the honorific. To answer, add 이에요/예요 to the color noun: 빨간색이에요, 파란색이에요, 하늘색이에요.

Colors in Korean: 25 Essential Color Words

🇰🇷 Korean · 25 cards · A1 · by Jiho Park

These are the colors you actually hear in Seoul: the ten basics, plus 남색, 하늘색, 갈색, 금색, and the loanword 핑크색, which people say far more often than 분홍색 in conversation.

Two things trip beginners up. First, some colors exist twice: 파란색 is a noun ("the color blue"), 파랗다 is an adjective ("to be blue"), and those adjectives are ㅎ-irregular — 파랗다 becomes 파래요, never 파라요. Only five colors work this way. Second, a few colors have twin forms — 하얀색/흰색, 검은색/까만색 — that differ in feel and register, not in meaning.

Every example here is labelled with its politeness level, so you know whether you can say it to your boss or only to a friend.

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Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

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All 25 cards

#	Korean	Pronunciation	English	Example
1	색 Polite (해요체). The neutral, all-purpose word; it attaches to color names: 빨간+색, 하늘+색.	saek	color	이 옷 색이 참 예뻐요. The color of these clothes is really pretty.
2	색깔 Casual (반말). Same meaning as 색 but chattier; common in speech, rare on labels or forms.	saek-kkal	color (colloquial)	색깔이 너무 어두운데? Isn't the color too dark?
3	무슨 색 Polite (해요체 with honorific -시-). 무슨 색깔 works too. For "What color is it?" say 무슨 색이에요?	museun saek	what color	무슨 색 좋아하세요? What color do you like?
4	빨간색 Polite (해요체, 주세요 request). Before a noun you can drop 색: 빨간 우산 is just as natural.	ppalgansaek	red	빨간색 우산 하나 주세요. One red umbrella, please.
5	파란색 Polite (해요체). Traditionally 파랗다 also covered green (people still say 파란불 for a green light), but today it means blue.	paransaek	blue	저는 파란색을 제일 좋아해요. I like blue the most.
6	노란색 Casual (반말, thinking out loud). 노란 머리 = blond hair.	noransaek	yellow	노란색 크레파스 어디 갔지? Where did the yellow crayon go?
7	초록색 Polite (해요체). 녹색 is the same color in official or written contexts.	choroksaek	green	신호등이 초록색으로 바뀌었어요. The traffic light turned green.
8	하얀색 Polite (해요체). Softer, more spoken feel than 흰색; both are fully standard.	hayansaek	white	하얀색 운동화를 샀어요. I bought white sneakers.
9	흰색 Polite (해요체). The form on clothing tags and paint cans. Standard pronunciation is [힌색].	huinsaek	white	흰색 티셔츠는 때가 잘 타요. White T-shirts get dirty easily.
10	검은색 Polite (해요체). The standard, slightly formal word for black; safe in writing. 검정색 is equally common in speech.	geomeunsaek	black	면접에는 보통 검은색 정장을 입어요. For interviews people usually wear a black suit.
11	까만색 Casual (반말). Spoken variant of 검은색, from 까맣다; the ㄲ makes it sound more vivid.	kkamansaek	black (colloquial)	까만색 고양이가 지나갔어. A black cat walked by.
12	주황색 Polite (해요체). Noun only — there is no native adjective for orange. The fruit is 오렌지.	juhwangsaek	orange	주황색 모자가 잘 어울리네요. That orange hat suits you well.
13	보라색 Polite (해요체). 보라 alone also works in fashion talk; noun only, no adjective form.	borasaek	purple	보라색 꽃이 활짝 폈어요. The purple flowers are in full bloom.
14	분홍색 Polite (해요체). Sino-Korean and slightly bookish; in speech 핑크색 is more common.	bunhongsaek	pink	동생 방은 분홍색이에요. My younger sibling's room is pink.
15	핑크색 Casual (반말). From English "pink"; what most young people actually say. 핑크 alone is fine too.	pingkeusaek	pink (loanword)	머리 핑크색으로 염색할까? Should I dye my hair pink?
16	갈색 Polite (해요체, 주세요 request). Also used for hair: 갈색 머리. No native adjective form.	galsaek	brown	갈색 구두 좀 보여 주세요. Could you show me the brown shoes?
17	회색 Casual (반말). 잿빛 is a poetic alternative you will only meet in writing.	hoesaek	gray	회색 후드티 하나 살까? Shall I buy a gray hoodie?
18	남색 Polite (해요체). Very common for uniforms and suits; 네이비 is the fashion-world loanword.	namsaek	navy blue	교복 치마가 남색이에요. The school uniform skirt is navy.
19	하늘색 Polite (해요체). Literally "sky color". Used far more often than 연한 파란색.	haneulsaek	sky blue, light blue	벽지를 하늘색으로 바꿨어요. I changed the wallpaper to sky blue.
20	금색 Polite (해요체). 금색 is the color; 금 on its own is the metal. 골드 shows up in product names.	geumsaek	gold (color)	언니가 금색 반지를 끼고 있어요. My older sister is wearing a gold ring.
21	은색 Polite (해요체). Same pattern as 금색: 은 is the metal, 은색 is the color.	eunsaek	silver (color)	은색 차가 인기가 많아요. Silver cars are very popular.
22	빨갛다 Casual (반말 exclamation). ㅎ-irregular: 빨개요 / 빨간 (never 빨가요). This is the adjective behind 빨간색.	ppalgata	to be red	저 노을 진짜 빨갛다. That sunset is really red.
23	파랗다 Polite (해요체). Conjugates 파래요 / 파란. Same ㅎ-irregular pattern as 노랗다, 하얗다, 까맣다.	parata	to be blue	오늘 하늘이 파랗네요. The sky is blue today.
24	진하다 Polite (해요체). Before a noun: 진한 초록색. Also used for strong coffee and heavy makeup.	jinhada	to be deep, dark (of a color)	이 파란색은 좀 진해요. This blue is a bit dark.
25	연하다 Polite (해요체). Opposite of 진하다; also means "tender" for meat. 밝다/어둡다 describe brightness, not shade intensity.	yeonhada	to be pale, light (of a color)	연한 분홍색으로 골랐어요. I chose a pale pink.

Jiho Park

Native Korean · Speaks English, Japanese

Seoul native. I mark every phrase with its politeness level, because that is the part textbooks skip and the part that gets you in trouble.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

What is the difference between 파란색 and 파랗다?: 파란색 is a noun, "the color blue": use it with 이에요, with 으로, or in front of another noun (파란색 가방). 파랗다 is an adjective, "to be blue", and it conjugates: 하늘이 파래요. Its modifier form is 파란, which also goes straight in front of a noun, so 파란 가방 and 파란색 가방 are both correct and interchangeable. Five colors have this ㅎ-irregular adjective pair: 빨갛다, 파랗다, 노랗다, 하얗다, 까맣다. There are also the regular adjectives 검다 (black), 희다 (white) and 푸르다 (blue-green), mostly used in writing. Orange, purple, brown, gray and navy exist as nouns only.
Is 초록색 or 녹색 the right word for green?: Both are correct for the same color. 초록색 is the everyday spoken choice — 초록색 티셔츠, 초록색 신호등. 녹색 sounds official and appears in written or institutional language: 녹색 성장, 녹색어머니회, road signage. Note also 연두색, a yellowish light green like new leaves, which Koreans treat as its own color rather than a pale 초록색.
Should I say 하얀색 or 흰색 for white?: Either one; both are standard. 흰색 is the neutral, written-looking form you see on clothing tags, paint cans and forms, and it is pronounced [힌색]. 하얀색 comes from the adjective 하얗다 and feels softer and more spoken, so it is common when you are describing something in front of you. Black splits the same way: 검은색 (or 검정색) is the standard choice, 까만색 is the everyday spoken one.
How do I ask what color something is in Korean?: Say 무슨 색이에요? ("What color is it?") in polite speech, or 무슨 색이야? with close friends. 무슨 색깔이에요? is just as natural and a shade more casual. To ask about preferences: 무슨 색 좋아해요?, or 무슨 색 좋아하세요? when you want the honorific. To answer, add 이에요/예요 to the color noun: 빨간색이에요, 파란색이에요, 하늘색이에요.

Tags:beginner

Colors in Korean: 25 Essential Color Words

All 25 cards

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