Colors

1. Хӗрлӗ

   Khĕrlĕ

   Red

   Usage

   Names a colour, for example when pointing out the colour you want while shopping.

   Grammar Note

   As an adjective it stands before the noun and does not change (хӗрлӗ кӗпе = a red dress). It also appears in the name of the square in Cheboksary, Хӗрлӗ лапам "Red Square".

2. Оранжӑ

   Oranzhă

   Orange

   Usage

   Names the colour between red and yellow.

   Grammar Note

   A colour name taken from Russian оранжевый and written with the Chuvash ending -ӑ (оранжӑ тӗс = the colour orange). It stands before the noun. The fruit is апельсин.

3. Сарӑ

   Sară

   Yellow

   Usage

   Names a colour when describing something.

   Grammar Note

   It can stand alone as a predicate (Чечексем сарӑ. = The flowers are yellow). сарӑ "yellow" and сӑрӑ "grey" differ by one vowel and are easy to mix up.

4. Симӗс

   Simĕs

   Green

   Usage

   Names green, for plants, leaves and anything of that colour.

   Grammar Note

   It can stand before a noun or serve as a predicate (Пысӑк йывӑҫ симӗс мар. = The big tree is not green). A second word with the same meaning is ешӗл.

5. Тӗттӗм кӑвак

   Tĕttĕm kăvak

   Dark blue

   Usage

   Names navy or deep blue.

   Grammar Note

   тӗттӗм "dark" is placed before кӑвак "blue" to mark the shade. Putting a light or dark word before a colour name is a composed pattern, so native-speaker review is recommended.

6. Ҫутӑ кӑвак

   Çută kăvak

   Light blue

   Usage

   Names light blue, such as the colour of a clear sky.

   Grammar Note

   ҫутӑ "bright" is placed before кӑвак "blue"; it pairs with тӗттӗм кӑвак for deep blue. Putting a light or dark word before a colour name is a composed pattern, so native-speaker review is recommended.

7. Фиолет

   Fiolet

   Purple

   Usage

   Names purple or violet.

   Grammar Note

   A colour name taken from Russian (фиолет тӗс = the colour violet). There is also a native word хӗрхӗлтӗм for the same colour, but фиолет is the easier one to be understood with.

8. Кӗрен

   Kĕren

   Pink

   Usage

   Names the colour pink.

   Grammar Note

   кӗрен тӗс is red shifted slightly toward blue and corresponds to Russian «розовый». Do not confuse кӗрен "pink" with хӗрлӗ "red".

9. Хӑмӑр

   Khămăr

   Brown

   Usage

   Names brown.

   Grammar Note

   It stands before the noun (хӑмӑр упа = brown bear). хӑмӑр тӗс is treated as an intermediate colour rather than one of the basic colours.

10. Шурӑ

    Shură

    White

    Usage

    Names white.

    Grammar Note

    It stands before the noun (шурӑ тӗс = the colour white) and is often paired with хура "black".

11. Хура

    Khura

    Black

    Usage

    Names black.

    Grammar Note

    It stands before the noun (хура тӗс = the colour black). The same word is in the name of the Black Sea, Хура тинӗс.

12. Сӑрӑ

    Sără

    Grey

    Usage

    Names grey.

    Grammar Note

    сӑрӑ тӗс is the colour grey. It is a different word from сарӑ "yellow", with only the vowel differing, so watch spelling and listening.

13. Кӑвак

    Kăvak

    Blue

    Usage

    Names blue, like the sky or the sea.

    Grammar Note

    It works directly as a predicate (Кӑвак тӳпе. = The sky is blue). Deep and light blue are said тӗттӗм кӑвак and ҫутӑ кӑвак.

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