חום
khúm/ˈħuːm/ [ˈħuːm]
The Hebrew word for brown is חום (khúm).
חום is primarily used as an adjective to describe something that has a brown color. Note that חום is also a noun that can mean 'warmth' or 'heat' depending on the context of your sentence.
Meaning: having a brown color/colour (adj)
Which one should you use?
While חום is the standard form for the adjective 'brown', it is also the noun for 'warmth' or 'heat'. Use the surrounding context to determine if the speaker is referring to the color or the temperature.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Use חמה for a feminine singular noun, חומים for a masculine plural noun and חומות for a feminine plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
khúm (IPA: /ˈħuːm])
Did you know?
- Because חום also means 'warmth', the phrase בחום can mean 'with warmth' in an emotional sense, such as receiving a 'warm' welcome.
- The word for 'brown' is etymologically linked to the concept of 'heat' through the root ח־מ־ם, suggesting a linguistic connection between the two ideas.
- When describing people's skin or hair, חום is often used where English speakers might use 'brunette' or 'tan'.
Examples in context
- יש לי שיער חום.I have brown hair.This sentence shows how to use חום to describe hair color.Tatoeba #5977763 by fekundulo, translation #436665 by lukaszpp
- הכלב של תום חום.Tom's dog is brown.This sentence demonstrates using חום to describe a dog.Tatoeba #5977724 by fekundulo, translation #2548524 by CK
- הכלב חום, קטן ורזה.The dog is brown, small, and thin.This sentence shows חום used alongside other adjectives to describe a dog.Tatoeba #2384406 by fekundulo, translation #2510140 by AlanF_US
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Noa are looking at furniture in a store.
- איתי Itayאת אוהבת את השולחן הזה?At ohevet et ha-shulchan ha-ze?Do you like this table?
- נועה Noaהוא יפה, אבל הצבע חום מדי.Hu yafe, aval ha-tzeva chum madi.It's beautiful, but the color is too brown.
- איתי Itayאני חושב שחום זה צבע קלאסי.Ani khoshev she-chum ze tzeva klasi.I think brown is a classic color.
- נועה Noaאני מעדיפה לבן או שחור.Ani ma'adifa lavan o shakhor.I prefer white or black.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry חום, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חום, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
