бе́лый цвет
bélyj cvetmasculine
The English phrase "white" is translated into Russian as бе́лый цвет (bélyj cvet) when referring to the color.
Use бе́лый цвет when you are naming the color itself as a noun. To describe an object as being white, use the adjective бе́лый. This adjective can be used to describe things that are bright and colourless, or to denote a specific set in board games, such as the white pieces.
Meaning: color (noun)
Which one should you use?
The phrase бе́лый цвет is a noun phrase used for the name of the color, whereas the single word бе́лый is the adjective used to describe specific objects.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, бе́лый must change its ending to match the gender and number of the noun it describes. For a feminine noun, such as краска (paint), use бе́лая. For a neuter noun, such as облако (cloud), use бе́лое. For plural nouns, use бе́лые. For example, to say "a white car" (where car is a feminine noun), you would say белая машина.
How do you pronounce it?
bélyj cvet
Did you know?
- In Russian, when discussing the 'white' of an eye, one would not use бе́лый, but rather the word белок, which literally means 'white protein'.
- While 'white' is a color, the Russian root of цвет comes from the verb цвести́, meaning 'to bloom'.
- In some Russian idioms, белый is used to describe something completely empty or blank, such as a 'white spot' белое пятно on a map.
Examples in context
- Мой новый дом – белый и красивый.My new house is white and beautiful.
- У нее есть беленький котенок.She has a little white kitten.
- Эта рубашка не совсем белая, она беловатая.This shirt is not completely white, it is off-white.
- Этот бе́лый цвет мне очень нравится.Etot belyy tsvet mne ochen' nravitsya.I like this white color very much.
- Бе́лый цвет часто используют в дизайне.Belyy tsvet chasto ispol'zuyut v dizayne.White is often used in design.
- Мне нужен только бе́лый цвет.Mne nuzhen tol'ko belyy tsvet.I only need the color white.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Olga are choosing paint for a room.
- Дмитрий DmitryОльга, тебе нравится бе́лый цвет?Olga, tebe nravitsya belyy tsvet?Olga, do you like the color white?
- Ольга OlgaДа, он очень светлый.Da, on ochen svetlyy.Yes, it is very bright.
- Дмитрий DmitryТогда купим бе́лый цвет.Togda kupim belyy tsvet.Then let's buy white.
- Ольга OlgaХорошо, Дмитрий, я согласна.Khorosho, Dmitriy, ya soglasna.Okay, Dmitry, I agree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries цвет, CC BY-SA 4.0.
