সাদা
śada/ʃad̪a/
The English word white is translated into Bengali as সাদা (śada). Wiktionary also lists সফেদ (śophed).
Meaning: color (noun)
Ways to say it
| Bengali | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| সাদা | śada | /ʃad̪a/ |
| সফেদ | śophed | /ʃɔfed̪/ |
Additionally, when describing people of Caucasian or Western descent, the descriptive phrase সাদা মানুষ (śada mānush), which literally means 'white person', is commonly used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word গোরা (gorā) is an informal, often colloquial term used to refer to white people or those with very fair skin.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
śada [ʃad̪a]
Did you know?
- In Bengali culture, wearing সাদা (śada) clothing is the traditional attire for mourning and funerals, contrasting with the celebratory colors of weddings.
- The word সাদা is actually a linguistic traveler, having been borrowed from the Classical Persian word ساده (sāda), which originally meant 'simple' or 'plain'.
- While সাদা is the most common word for the color 'white', the word সফেদ is often used in more poetic or formal literary contexts to add a sense of elegance.
Examples in context
- ডাচ পতাকা লাল, সাদা এবং নীল।The Dutch flag is red, white and blue.This sentence shows the use of সাদা in the context of flag colors.Tatoeba #11704274 by robingaspi, translation #6948443 by garynw
- এই মেয়েরা সাদা স্কার্ট ব্যবহার করে।These girls use white skirts.This sentence demonstrates how সাদা is used to describe clothing.Tatoeba #11460751 by robingaspi, translation #1459891 by bufo
- আপনি কতগুলো সাদা-কালো সিনেমা দেখেছেন?How many black and white movies have you seen?This sentence illustrates the use of সাদা in the phrase for black and white movies.Tatoeba #11472574 by robingaspi, translation #2911996 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Akash and Moumita are looking at a shirt in a clothing store.
- আকাশ Akashএই শার্টটি কি সাদা?Ei shirt-ti ki sada?Is this shirt white?
- মৌমিতা Moumitaনা, এটি অফ-হোয়াইট।Na, eti off-white.No, it is off-white.
- আকাশ Akashআমার একটি সাদা শার্ট দরকার।Amar ekti sada shirt dorkar.I need a white shirt.
- মৌমিতা Moumitaতাহলে আমরা অন্য দোকানে দেখি।Tahole amra onno dokane dekhi.Then let's look in another shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white” translations and entries সাদা, সফেদ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries সফেদ, সাদা, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
