Unit 8

The Meaning of Color

You probably know that colors can influence your mood and feelings, but did you
know that colors mean different things in different cultures?

‫ ٌىه ًٌ رعٍم أن األٌُان رعىي أشيبء‬,‫عٍّ األسجخ أوذ رعٍم أن ثإمىبن األٌُان اٌزأثيش عٍّ مضاجه َمشبعشن‬
‫مخزٍفخ في ثمبفبد مخزٍفخ؟‬

Take the color white, for example. In Western culture, represents goodness and purity,
while in Asian cultures, white is associated with funerals and mourning.

‫ ثيىمب في‬, ‫ يمثً اٌٍُن األثيض اٌىمبء َاٌصفبء‬, ‫ في اٌثمبفخ اٌغشثيخ‬.‫خز اٌٍُن األثيض عٍّ سجيً اٌمثبي‬
.‫ يشرجظ اٌٍُن األثيض ثبٌذذاد (اٌذضن) َاٌجىبصاد‬, ‫اٌثمبفبد االّسيُيخ‬

In China, red is the color of good luck and prosperity. When the Chinese give gifts of
money on special occasions, they usually put the money in a red envelope.

‫ ديث أن اٌصيىيُن يمذمُن ٌذايب اٌمبي في مىبسجبد‬.‫ اٌٍُن األدمش ٌُ ٌُن اٌذع اٌجيذ َاالصدٌبس‬, ‫في اٌصيه‬
.‫ ٌم عبدح يضعُن اٌمبي في ظشف أدمش اٌٍُن‬, ‫خبصخ‬

Chinese brides aren’t dressed in white; they wear bright red wedding dresses.

.)‫ ٌه يشرذيه فسبريه صفبف دمشاء اٌٍُن َالمعخ (ثشالخ‬, ‫ال يشرذيه عشائس اٌصيىيبد اٌٍُن األثيض‬

On the other hand, in the Western world, red represents danger, that is why warning
signs and road signs are often red.

‫ ٌٍَزا اٌسجت رىُن اشبساد اٌزذزيش َاشبساد‬, ‫ يمثً اٌٍُن األدمش اٌخطش‬, ‫ في اٌعبٌم اٌغشثي‬, ِ‫مه وبديخ أخش‬
.‫اٌطشق غبٌجب دمشاء اٌٍُن‬

In the past, the Cherokee Indians of North America used to associate color with the
four directions; that is, blue represented north, white represented south, red
represented east and black represented west.

, ‫ ٌىُد لجيٍخ اٌشيش َوي في شمبي أمشيىب اعزبدَا عٍّ سثظ اٌٍُن ثبالرجبٌبد األسثعخ ؛ َاٌزي ٌي‬, ‫في اٌمبضي‬
ً‫ يمثً اٌٍُن األدمش جٍخ اٌششق َيمث‬, ‫ يمثً اٌٍُن األثيض جٍخ اٌجىُة‬, ‫يمثً اٌٍُن األصسق جٍخ اٌشمبي‬
.‫اٌٍُن األسُد جٍخ اٌغشة‬

These four colors had other meanings, too; blue meant defeat, white meant happiness,
red meant success and black meant death.

, ‫ اٌٍُن األثيض يعىي اٌسعبدح‬, ‫ فبٌٍُن األصسق يعىي اٌٍضيمخ‬, ِ‫أيضب ٌزي األٌُان األسثعخ ٌٍب معبوي أخش‬
.‫َاٌٍُن األدمش يعىي اٌىجبح َ اٌٍُن األسُد يعىي اٌمُد‬
 The Cherokees also used colored beads to achieve certain goals; for example, they
associated red beads with good health.

‫ سثطُا اٌخشص األدمش‬, ‫اسزخذمُا لجيٍخ اٌشي سَوي أيضب خشص مٍُن ٌزذميك غبيبد معيىخ ؛ عٍّ سجيً اٌمثبي‬
.‫ثبٌصذخ اٌجيذح‬

Yellow is another color that has various meanings in different cultures. In Japan,
yellow means courage.

.‫ يعىي اٌٍُن األصفش اٌشجبعخ‬, ‫ في اٌيبثبن‬.‫األصفش ٌُ ٌُن أّخش يمٍه معبوي مزىُعخ في ثمبفبد مخزٍفخ‬

In China, the color yellow represents royalty, but in Myanmar, yellow is associated
with mourning.

.‫ يشرجظ اٌٍُن األصفش ثبٌذضن‬, ‫ ٌىه في ميبومبس‬, ‫ يمثً اٌٍُن األصفش طجمخ اٌمٍُن َاألمشاء‬, ‫في اٌصيه‬

Green is one of the few colors that most cultures view as being a positive color; in
both the East and the West, green is the color of health and life.

‫يعزجش اٌٍُن األخضش َادذ مه األٌُان اٌمٍيٍخ ديث معظم اٌثمبفبد يىظشَن ٌٍزا اٌٍُن عٍّ أوً ٌُن ايجبثي ؛ في‬
.‫ األخضش ٌُ ٌُن اٌصذخ َاٌذيبح‬, ‫وال مه اٌششق َاٌغشة‬

For the ancient Egyptians, green symbolized hope and the joy of spring.

.‫ يشمض اٌٍُن األخضش األمً َثٍجخ اٌشثيع‬,‫ثبٌىسجخ ٌٍمصشييه اٌمذمبء‬

In Ireland, it is a lucky color and, all over the world, green is a symbol of ecological
awareness.

.‫ يعزجش اٌٍُن األخضش سمض اٌُعي اٌجيئي‬, ‫ َفي وً أوذبء اٌعبٌم‬, ‫ ٌُ ٌُن اٌذع‬, ‫في ايشٌىذا‬

Learning about what meanings colors have in different cultures is interesting and
satisfies our curiosity.

.‫معشفخ مبرا رعىي األٌُان في ثمبفبد مخزٍفخ ٌُ شيء ممزع َيشضي فضٌُىب‬

It can also be very useful for travelers and in the world of business.

.‫مه اٌممىه أيضب أن يىُن مفيذ جذا ٌٍمسبفشيه َ في عبٌم األعمبي‬

Knowing what colors represent in other countries can help to increase our
understanding of other cultures and help us avoid misunderstandings.

ِ‫معشفخ مبرا رمثً رٍه األٌُان في اٌجٍذان األخشِ مه اٌممىه أن يسبعذ عٍّ صيبدح فٍمىب ٌٍثمبفبد األخش‬
.‫َيسبعذوب عٍّ رجىت سُء اٌفٍم‬