Quick answer
"Red" is 7mer , "blue" zreq and "green" khder . The color usually follows the noun: serwal k7el means "black pants". With a feminine noun, the form can change: qamija beyda means “a white shirt”.
10 colours in Moroccan Darija, in Latin and Arabic script
Use the first form with a masculine noun and the second with a feminine noun. The colour swatches are visual aids; every colour is also named in words. Cover one column to practise before starting the quiz.
| English | Masculine form | Feminine form |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 7mer حمر | 7emra حمرا |
| Blue | zreq زرق | zerqa زرقا |
| Green | khder خضر | khedra خضرا |
| Yellow | sfer صفر | sefra صفرا |
| White | byed بيض | beyda بيضا |
| Black | k7el كحل | ke7la كحلا |
| Gray | rmadi رمادي | rmadiya رمادية |
| Brown | qehwi قهوي | qehwiya قهوية |
| Orange | limouni ليموني | limouniya ليمونية |
| Pink | fanidi فانيدي | fanidiya فانيدية |
Latin transcription is not unique. You will notably encounter zraq for blue and khdar for green. For pink, some people use the French word “rose”. First learn a coherent series, then note the forms used by your interlocutors.
How do colour adjectives agree with nouns?
The adjective agrees with the Darija noun for the item, regardless of who wears it. The word for a shirt is feminine even when it belongs to a man. The word for trousers is masculine even when a woman wears them.
- serwal k7el — black pants; serwal byed — white pants.
- qamija ke7la — a black shirt; qamija beyda — a white shirt.
- qamija 7emra — a red shirt; qamija zerqa — a blue shirt.
The table concerns the singular. To start, memorize groups of two words rather than a rule which consists of systematically adding a letter. Colors borrowed from other languages and plural forms require their own references.
Request a color in a store
Imagine you are looking for a shirt. Prepare your request and then the replacement color you would accept. This allows you to continue the exchange if the first model is not available.
- Bghit qamija zerqa. بغيت قميجة زرقا.
I would like a blue shirt. - 3endkom l-byed ? عندكم البيض؟
Do you have white? - Bsh7al hadi ? بشحال هادي؟
How much does this one cost?
The last question here refers to the shirt. To continue, consult the Darija number guide and practice recognizing the price. Show the object when the context is not enough to identify the color or model.
Check the adjective forms, then take the quiz
Reply before opening corrections. The following quiz uses the masculine forms in the table.
A blue shirt: which adjective form is correct?
Qamija zerqa. The Darija word for a shirt is feminine.
White trousers: which adjective form is correct?
Serwal byed. The Darija word for trousers is masculine.
Frequently asked questions about colors in Darija
What do the numbers in 7mer and k7el mean?
The number 7 represents the Arabic consonant ح. It does not read like the number seven. The guide to writing darija explains these conventions.
Why several words for the same color?
Vocabulary may vary depending on region, family habits and borrowings from French. Ask your interlocutor what form they use and keep an example with a specific object.
Sources and usage notes
The following resources allow you to compare vocabulary and usage. The scenes and exercises on this page are suggested for training; the variations in your surroundings remain a useful benchmark.