Hindi · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Red" in Hindi: लाल
लालlaal
Red in Hindi is लाल (laal). It is one of the easiest colors to use because it never changes its ending: laal kurta (a red kurta) and laal saadi (a red sari). You may already know it from Laal Kila, Delhi's Red Fort.
Shopping for clothes
क्या यही कुर्ता लाल रंग में भी मिलेगा?kya yahi kurta laal rang mein bhi milega?
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How to pronounce लाल
Say it
LAAL
/lɑːl/
Say LAAL, one syllable with a long, open aa like in "father". Both l's are light and clear, with the tongue tip on the upper teeth. Avoid the dark English l of "full" at the end.
"Red" in Hindi: quick reference
| Hindi | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| लालlaal | red The standard word for red, for any noun and any gender. | The standard word for red, for any noun and any gender. |
| गहरा लालgahra laal | dark red Gahra means deep or dark. For a lighter shade, say halka laal. | Gahra means deep or dark. For a lighter shade, say halka laal. |
| लाल रंगlaal rang | the color red When you talk about the color itself: mujhe laal rang pasand hai. | When you talk about the color itself: mujhe laal rang pasand hai. |
| लाल मिर्चlaal mirch | red chili Dried red chili or chili powder, a basic spice in most Indian kitchens. | Dried red chili or chili powder, a basic spice in most Indian kitchens. |
| लाल बत्तीlaal batti | red light The red traffic light. Batti means light or lamp. | The red traffic light. Batti means light or lamp. |
How to use लाल in real life
- 1Shopping for clothes
क्या यही कुर्ता लाल रंग में भी मिलेगा?
kya yahi kurta laal rang mein bhi milega?
Do you have this same kurta in red too?
Milega (will be found) is the natural way to ask if a shop has something.
- 2Cooking with a friend
दाल में थोड़ी लाल मिर्च और डालिए।
daal mein thodi laal mirch aur daaliye.
Add a little more red chili to the dal.
Mirch is feminine, which is why it is thodi and not thoda.
- 3In a taxi
रुकिए, लाल बत्ती है!
rukiye, laal batti hai!
Stop, it's a red light!
Rukiye is the polite aap form of rukna (to stop). With a friend, say ruko.
Mistakes English speakers make with लाल
Incorrect: Mujhe laali saadi chaahiye.
Correct: Mujhe laal saadi chaahiye.
Laal does not end in -aa, so it never changes for a feminine noun. Laali is a different word, meaning redness or a red glow.
Incorrect: Laal rang ki kurta
Correct: Laal rang ka kurta
In "a kurta of red color", ka agrees with the thing described. Kurta is masculine, so use ka. For a sari, say laal rang ki saadi.
Good to know
Red is the color of celebration and marriage in much of India. Many brides in north India wear a red lehenga or sari, and in many Hindu communities married women wear red sindoor in the parting of their hair and red bangles. You will also see red in the tilak on the forehead during festivals and pujas.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing an outfit for a friend's wedding in Lucknow
ChatPal
शादी में आप कौन-सा रंग पहनेंगे?
shaadi mein aap kaun-sa rang pahnenge?
What color will you wear to the wedding?
You
मैं लाल कुर्ता पहनने की सोच रहा हूँ।
main laal kurta pahanne ki soch raha hoon.
I'm thinking of wearing a red kurta.
ChatPal
लाल बढ़िया रहेगा! शाम की शादी में लाल और सुनहरा बहुत अच्छा लगता है।
laal badhiya rahega! shaam ki shaadi mein laal aur sunahra bahut achha lagta hai.
Red will be great! Red and gold look lovely at an evening wedding.
You
ठीक है, तो लाल कुर्ते के साथ सुनहरी जूतियाँ ले लूँगा।
theek hai, to laal kurte ke saath sunahri jootiyaan le loonga.
Okay, then I'll get golden juttis to go with the red kurta.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Red" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Red" in Hindi
Does laal change for masculine and feminine nouns?
No. Laal stays the same: laal phool (m), laal gaadi (f), laal kapde (plural). Colors ending in -aa, like peela (yellow) and hara (green), do change: peeli saadi, hari mirch.
How do you say pink in Hindi?
Pink is gulaabi, from gulaab (rose). Like many colors ending in -i, it stays the same for every noun: gulaabi kurta, gulaabi saadi.
Does laal mean anything besides red?
In older and poetic Hindi, laal is also a loving word for a son or a dear child, as in maa ka laal (a mother's darling son). It also means a ruby. In everyday speech, it almost always means red.
How do you ask "What color is it?" in Hindi?
Ask yah kis rang ka hai? The answer follows the same pattern: yah laal rang ka hai (it's red), or just laal hai.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
