رَمَادِيّ
ramādiyy
The English word "gray" is translated into Arabic as رَمَادِيّ (ramādiyy). Wiktionary also lists رَصَاصِيّ (raṣāṣiyy) and أَشْيَب (ʔašyab).
Meaning: of a color somewhere between white and black, like cinders (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| رَمَادِيّ | ramādiyy | |
| رَصَاصِيّ | raṣāṣiyy | |
| أَشْيَب | ʔašyab | masculine |
| أَشْهَب | ʔašhab | masculine |
رَمَادِيّ is the most standard and widely used term for the color gray in Arabic. If you are describing a specific metallic or leaden gray, you use رَصَاصِيّ.
What does it mean word for word?
The word رَمَادِيّ is derived from the noun ramād (ashes), so it literally means "ashy".
Which one should you use?
رَمَادِيّ is the standard adjective used for the color gray in most contexts. رَصَاصِيّ is used when describing something that has the color or texture of lead. أَشْيَب is used specifically to describe graying hair or a person with gray hair, rather than a gray object. أَشْهَب is a masculine form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the color رَمَادِيّ is رَمَادِيَّة.
How do you pronounce it?
ramādiyy
Did you know?
- In classical Arabic literature, the specific shade أَشْهَب is used to describe the coats of prestigious Arabian horses and gray wolves to evoke strength and nobility.
- The word رَصَاصِيّ describes a leaden gray and shares its root with the word for 'bullet', linking the color to military or industrial objects.
- Describing someone's appearance as أَشْهَب can imply they have a rugged or sun-bleached quality rather than simply being a shade of gray.
Examples in context
- هذا القميص لَوْنُهُ رَمَادِيّ.hadha al-qamis lawnuhu ramadi.This shirt is gray.
- أُريدُ حِذاءً رَمَادِيّاً.uridu hidha'an ramadiyan.I want a gray shoe.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gray” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
