This post covers how to say and pronounce the different colors in Tongan.
Learning the colors is super important as it allows you to accurately describe things, expand your conversations and understand others better.
So what are the colors in Tongan?
Colors In Tongan
The main colors in Tongan are:
- Red – Kulokula
- Blue – Pulū / Moana
- Green – Mata
- Yellow – Engeenga
- Black – ’Uli’uli
- White – Hinehina
- Gray – Kulei
- Orange – Moli
- Purple – Vāleti
- Pink – Pingiki
- Brown – Melomelo
- Gold – Koula
- Silver – Siliva
- Color – Lanu
- Rainbow – ‘Umatā
In speech, many Tongans will place the word for color which is lanu in front of the color when referring to it.
For example, you may hear ‘green’ as lanu mata instead of just mata. This is essentially like saying ‘color green’ instead of just ‘green’.
Shades Of Colors In Tongan
To talk about lighter shades of colors, use one of the following words:
- Weak/diluted – Vaivai
- Light – Maama
Place one of these words after the color to indicate that it is a lighter or weaker version.
For example:
- Light blue – Pulū vaivai
- Light green – Mata maama
To talk about darker shades of colors, use one of the following words:
- Strong – Mālohi
- Dark – Fakapōpō’uli
Place one of these words after the color to indicate that it is a darker or stronger version.
For example:
- Dark green – Mata fakapōpō’uli
- Dark pink – Pingiki mālohi
To hear the pronunciation of the colors in Tongan by a native speaker, check out the below video:
Thanks for reading this post which covers the Tongan words for colors.
Knowing how to say the different colors in Tongan is super important as it helps to accurately describe things and understand Tongan speakers better.
Learn more about the Tongan language here.
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