Page 80 - Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines

Bokabolaryo (Vocabulary): Mga Kulay (Colors)

Study the following colors. In Filipino, some colors have indigenous names, others
have both indigenous and Spanish names. In everyday conversations, most people
use the words derived from Spanish or even use the English words (such as “pink.”)
However, it is useful to know both because you may encounter the indigenous
words when reading, as they are popular among writers. The words bughaw and
luntian are indigenous to the Tagalog language. The words asul and berde come
from the Spanish language.
In a few instances, the words for colors are derived from nature, and are
preceded by the word kulay meaning “color.” For example, we say kulay abo (the
color of ash) for “gray” and the kulay kape (or the color of coffee) for “brown.”

Puti White
Itim Black

Bughaw o Asul Blue
Pula Red
Dilaw Yellow

Luntian o Berde Green
Kahel Orange

Kulay abo Gray
Kayumanggi o kulay kape Brown
Lila Violet/Purple

Kulay Rosas Pink

Mga Pangungusap at Tanong

Practice saying these sentences aloud, to get a feel for how this chapter's
vocabulary and grammar work in Filipino. As you will notice there are several ways
of saying the same thing. Explore these options, so that you can learn how to speak