Colors

1. লাল

   Lāl

   Red

   Usage

   The Bangladeshi flag features a red circle on green. Red symbolizes blood and independence. "Lāl sabuj" (red and green) is a beloved national symbol

   Grammar Note

   Bengali adjectives are generally invariable and do not change for the gender or case of the noun. Example: lāl śāṛī (red saree), lāl phul (red flower)

2. কমলা রঙ

   Kamalā rong

   Orange

   Usage

   Derived from "kamalā" (orange fruit). "Rong" (color) is often appended to distinguish the color from the fruit

   Grammar Note

   "Rong" means "color" in Bengali. Appending "rong" to a color word clarifies that it refers to the color. Example: kamalā rong (orange color), nīl rong (blue color)

3. হলুদ

   Halud

   Yellow

   Usage

   "Holud" also means turmeric (the spice). The pre-wedding "holud ceremony" involves applying turmeric paste to the bride and groom

   Grammar Note

   "Holud" is a polysemous word for both the color and the spice turmeric. Context determines meaning: holud phul (yellow flower) vs rānnāy holud (turmeric in cooking)

4. সবুজ

   Sabuj

   Green

   Usage

   The green on the Bangladeshi flag symbolizes lush nature, agriculture, and hope. "Sabuj Bānglādeś" (Green Bangladesh) evokes the country's natural beauty

   Grammar Note

   "Sabuj" is the most common Bengali word for green. "Śyāmal" is a more poetic/literary synonym used in formal or artistic contexts

5. গাঢ় নীল

   Gāṛha nīl

   Dark blue / Navy

   Usage

   "Gāṛha" (deep/dark) + "nīl" (blue) expresses navy/dark blue. Often simply "nīl" is used for blue in general

   Grammar Note

   "Gāṛha" (dark/deep) and "hālakā" (light/pale) are the Bengali adjectives for color intensity. Example: gāṛha nīl (dark blue), hālakā nīl (light blue)

6. আকাশি নীল

   Ākāśi nīl

   Sky blue

   Usage

   Derived from "ākāś" (sky). Also expressed as "hālakā nīl" (light blue) in everyday speech

   Grammar Note

   "Ākāśi" is formed from "ākāś" (sky) + suffix "-i", meaning "sky-like color". It is semantically equivalent to Hindi "āsamānī" (sky-colored)

7. বেগুনি

   Beguni

   Purple

   Usage

   Derived from "begun" (eggplant/brinjal). Shares the same etymological root as Hindi "bainghanī" — both named after the eggplant

   Grammar Note

   "Beguni" = "begun" (eggplant) + suffix "-i". The shared eggplant etymology between Bengali "beguni" and Hindi "bainghanī" reflects the close linguistic relationship

8. গোলাপি

   Golāpi

   Pink

   Usage

   Derived from "golāp" (rose). Shares the same Persian-origin root as Hindi "gulābī" — both named after the rose across South Asia

   Grammar Note

   "Golāpi" = "golāp" (rose) + suffix "-i". Both Bengali "golāp" and Hindi "gulāb" trace back to Persian "gul" (flower) via common South Asian loanword history

9. বাদামি

   Bādāmi

   Brown

   Usage

   Derived from "bādām" (almond). Used for natural tones like soil, wood, and earth in everyday language

   Grammar Note

   "Bādāmi" = "bādām" (almond) + suffix "-i". The almond-color origin of "brown" is a feature shared across several South Asian languages

10. সাদা

    Sādā

    White

    Usage

    Symbolizes purity, cleanliness, and mourning. Wearing white is traditional on Independence Day and in religious ceremonies

    Grammar Note

    "Sādā" is the most common Bengali word for white. "Śubhra" and "śveta" are more literary and poetic synonyms

11. কালো

    Kālo

    Black

    Usage

    Appears in poems by Rabindranath Tagore. Used in literary expression such as "kālo meye" (dark girl) with complex cultural connotations

    Grammar Note

    "Kālo" is the common Bengali word for black. "Kṛṣṇa" (Sanskrit origin) is the formal/religious term. The deity Krishna's name also derives from this root meaning "dark"

12. ধূসর

    Dhūsar

    Gray

    Usage

    "Dhūsar" is the traditional Bengali word for gray. The English loanword "grey" is also widely used in colloquial speech

    Grammar Note

    "Dhūsar" is a Sanskrit-derived formal term. The English loanword "grey" is also established in modern colloquial use. Shares etymology with Hindi "dhūsar"

13. নীল

    Nīl

    Blue

    Usage

    Blue with no shade specified; navy is গাঢ় নীল and sky blue আকাশি নীল, both formed by adding a modifier

    Grammar Note

    As a noun নীল is "the blue colour"; as an adjective it is "blue". The noun also names the indigo plant and its dye, so নীল রঙ ("blue colour") is used when the colour sense needs to be explicit

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