Want to describe the world around you in Korean? Colors and simple adjectives are perfect A1 tools. By the end of this lesson, you’ll say things like “The apple is red” and “This bag is cheap,” clearly and naturally.

Colors in Korean: the easy -색 pattern

In everyday Korean, color words are often formed with the suffix 색 (color). For example:

• 빨간색 (red)
• 파란색 (blue)
• 노란색 (yellow)
• 초록색 (green)
• 주황색 (orange)
• 분홍색 (pink)
• 보라색 (purple)
• 검정색 (black) / 검은색
• 하얀색 (white) / 흰색
• 갈색 (brown)
• 회색 (gray)

Two common ways to use colors:

1. As a noun with -색: 사과는 빨간색이에요. (The apple is red.)
2. As an adjective before a noun: 빨간 사과 (a red apple), 파란 바지 (blue pants), 노란 꽃 (yellow flower)

Note: Some colors regularly use the adjective form before nouns: 빨간, 파란, 노란, 하얀, 검은.

사과는 색이에요.

하늘은 색이에요.

커피는 이에요.

Cultural notes

• White (하얀색/흰색) is often associated with purity and simplicity.
• Black (검정색/검은색) is common for formal suits.
• Avoid writing a living person’s name in red; it can feel ominous.

Basic adjectives: size, price, quality

In Korean, many adjectives are actually “descriptive verbs” that end in -다 in the dictionary: 크다 (to be big), 작다 (to be small), 싸다 (to be cheap), 비싸다 (to be expensive), 예쁘다 (to be pretty), 좋다 (to be good), 나쁘다 (to be bad), 빠르다 (to be fast), 느리다 (to be slow).

Polite present endings:

• If the stem has ㅏ or ㅗ, use -아요 (싸다 → 싸요, 좋다 → 좋아요)
• Otherwise, use -어요 (크다 → 커요, 예쁘다 → 예뻐요)

Adjective before nouns (attributive forms): 큰 집 (big house), 작은 책 (small book), 예쁜 꽃 (pretty flower), 싼 가방 (cheap bag), 비싼 코트 (expensive coat), 빠른 차 (fast car), 느린 기차 (slow train).

이 가방이 요.

Colors + adjectives together

Combine a color with an adjective to be specific:

• 빨간 코트가 비싸요. (The red coat is expensive.)
• 파란 바지가 싸요. (The blue pants are cheap.)
• 예쁜 하얀색 꽃이에요. (They are pretty white flowers.)

You can also use 좋아하다 to talk about likes: 저는 검정색을 좋아해요. (I like black.)

사과는 빨간이에요. → 사과는 빨간색이에요. Use the -색 form to make a color noun for predication (Noun + color + 이에요/예요). 꽃이 예쁜이에요. → 꽃이 예뻐요. Don’t mix attributive form (예쁜) with the copula. Conjugate the descriptive verb: 예쁘다 → 예뻐요. 가방은 비싸예요. → 가방은 비싸요. Use -아요/-어요 endings with adjectives, not 예요/이에요.

More examples you can use today

• 파란색 셔츠가 좋아요. (The blue shirt is good.)
• 검정색 신발이 멋있어요. (Black shoes are stylish.)
• 노란 바나나는 맛있어요. (Yellow bananas are tasty.)
• 빠른 지하철이 편해요. (Fast subway is convenient.)
• 느린 인터넷은 불편해요. (Slow internet is inconvenient.)

바지가 색이에요.

이 꽃은 요.

Mini practice: describe what you see

Try to make three sentences about items near you:

1. Noun + 은/는 + color + 이에요/예요
2. Noun + 이/가 + adjective-아요/어요
3. Color + noun + 이/가 + adjective-아요/어요

Example: “노란색 연필이에요.” “연필이 길어요.” “노란 연필이 길어요.”

Wrap-up

You learned the -색 color pattern, the most common adjective conjugations (-아요/-어요), and easy ways to combine colors with adjectives. Keep noticing colors and simple qualities around you every day—your Korean will grow fast!