RANGI [COLORS]

eusi	[black]
rangi ya bluu	[blue]
rangi ya shaba	[bronze]
rangi ya maji ya kunde/kahawia	[brown (coffee)]
rangi ya bluu giza	[dark blue]
rangi ya giza	[dark color]
rangi ya almasi	[diamond]
rangi ya dhahabu	[gold]
rangi ya kijivu	[gray]
rangi ya kijani	[green (color of leaves)]
rangi ya bluu mwangaza	[light blue]
rangi ya mwangaza	[light color]
Nyekundu nzito	[maroon]
rangi ya hudhurungi	[mustard]
rangi ya machungwa	[orange]
rangi ya waridi	[pink (color of roses)]
rangi ya zambarau	[purple (tropical fruit)]
ekundu	[red]
rangi ya fedha	[silver]
samawati; samawi / bluu	[sky blue]
rangi ya urujuani	[violet]
eupe	[white]
rangi ya manjano / njano	[yellow (color of turmeric)]
Rangi za Upinde wa mvua	[rainbow colours]
nyekundu	[red]
rangi ya machungwa	[orange]
rangi ya manjano / njano	[yellow]
rangi ya kibichi/majani (kijani)	[green]
samawati / samawi	[blue]
nili	[indigo]
rangi ya urujuani	[violet]

 

Noun Agreements

There are three colors that behave like adjectives. They have to agree with the nouns they represent;

-ekundu [red]

-eupe [white]

-eusi [black]

 

NGELI [noun]	JINA [name]	-EUPE [white]	-EUSI [black]	-EKUNDU [red]
M/WA	Mtu [person]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Watu [people]	Weupe	Weusi	Wekundu
KI/VI	Kitabu [book]	Cheupe	Cheusi	Chekundu
	Vitabu [books]	Vyeupe	Vyeusi	Vyekundu
M/MI	Mpira [ball]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Mipira [balls]	Mieupe	Mieusi	Miekundu
JI/MA	Gari [car]	Jeupe	Jeusi	Jekundu
	Magari [cars]	Meupe	Meusi	Mekundu
N	Nyumba [house]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	Nyekundu
	Nyumba [houses]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	Nyekundu
U	Uzi [thread]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Nyuzi [threads]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	nyekundu

 

Exercise

Which of the following is not a color?

Nyeusi

Buluu

Samawati

Rangile

What color is the sky?

Nyeusi

samawati

Nyekundu

Nyeupe

What is black in Kiswahili?

Nyeupe

Nyekundu

Nyeusi

Nyeupe

What is green in Kiswahili?

Nyasi

Nyeusi

Kijani

Buluu

What is white in Kiswahili?

Nyekundu

Nyeupe

Nyeusi

Samawati

What is brown in Kiswahili?

Nyeusi

Kibichi

Kahawia

Manjano

Translate: She is in an orange coat.

Amevaa koti rangi ya machungwa

Amevaa koti rangi ya zambarau

Amevaa koti rangi ya kijani

Amevaa koti rangi ya manjano

Translate: The leaf is green

Kijani ni rangi ya kijani

Kijani ni rangi ya manjano

Kijani ni rangi nyeupe

Kijani cheusi