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يُلوّن

A1 verb #5,500 most common 3 min read

يُلوّن

yulawwin Top 5,500

When we want to talk about someone coloring or painting something, we use the verb يُلوّن. For example, if a child is coloring a picture, we would say الطفل يُلوّن الصورة.

This verb is very useful in everyday conversations, especially when discussing activities involving art, design, or even just describing the act of changing something's color. You might hear it when talking about painting a wall or coloring an illustration.

It helps you to describe actions where color is being applied, making your Arabic more expressive and detailed.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

§ Similar words and when to use 'يُلوّن' vs. alternatives

When you're learning Arabic, it's really helpful to understand how different words relate to each other, especially when they seem to have similar meanings. For 'يُلوّن' (he colors), there are a few other words you might encounter that relate to color, but they have distinct uses.

DEFINITION: يُلوّن (yulawwin): He colors. This verb specifically means to apply color to something, to make it colorful, or to paint it. It's about the action of changing an object's color.

Let's look at some related terms and how they differ:

§ 'صَبَغَ' (ṣabagha) - To dye/He dyed

This verb is often used when talking about dyeing fabric, hair, or other materials where the color penetrates and becomes part of the object. While 'يُلوّن' is more general for applying color, 'صَبَغَ' implies a more permanent or thorough change through a dyeing process.

صَبَغَ الرجلُ شعرَهُ باللون الأسود. (The man dyed his hair black.)

صَبَغَتْ الأمُّ القماشَ لعمل فستان. (The mother dyed the fabric to make a dress.)

§ 'رَسَمَ' (rasama) - To draw/He drew

While drawing often involves colors, 'رَسَمَ' focuses on the act of creating an image or outline, usually with a pen, pencil, or brush. If you're talking about drawing a picture, you use 'رَسَمَ'. If you're talking about putting color on that picture, you might then use 'يُلوّن'.

رَسَمَتْ الفتاةُ وردةً جميلةً. (The girl drew a beautiful rose.)

الطفلُ يحبُّ أن يَرْسِمَ الحيوانات. (The child loves to draw animals.)

§ 'طَلَى' (ṭalā) - To paint/He painted

This verb is very close to 'يُلوّن' and can sometimes be used interchangeably, especially when talking about painting a wall, a car, or furniture. However, 'طَلَى' often implies a more deliberate, sometimes professional, application of paint to a surface. 'يُلوّن' is generally more versatile and can refer to anything from a child coloring a drawing to an artist using various hues.

طَلَى العمالُ الجدرانَ باللون الأبيض. (The workers painted the walls white.)

طَلَتْ الفنانةُ اللوحةَ بألوانٍ زاهية. (The artist painted the canvas with bright colors.)

§ When to use 'يُلوّن'

When a child is coloring in a coloring book: الطفل يُلوّن الرسمة. (The child colors the drawing.)
When an artist is adding color to a sketch: الفنان يُلوّن اللوحة. (The artist colors the painting.)
When you are talking about someone making something colorful: هي تُلوّن حياتي. (She colors my life - figurative use).
Generally, for the act of applying any kind of color.

So, while there are other verbs related to color, 'يُلوّن' is your go-to for the general action of coloring. Pay attention to the context, and you'll quickly get the hang of which word is best!

Pronunciation Guide

UK /juˈlawwɪn/

US /juˈlawwɪn/

short

Common Errors

Pronouncing the 'و' as a 'v' sound instead of 'w'.
Failing to double the 'w' sound.

Examples by Level

يُلَوِّنُ الرَّسّامُ اللّوْحَةَ بِألوانٍ زاهِيَةٍ.

The painter colors the painting with vibrant colors.

Here, يُلَوِّنُ is used to describe the action of a painter applying colors to a canvas.

الطِّفلُ يُلَوِّنُ كِتابَهُ بِألوانِهِ المُفَضَّلَةِ.

The child colors his book with his favorite colors.

يُلَوِّنُ in this sentence refers to a child's activity of coloring a book.

يُلَوِّنُ الفَنّانُ الزُّجاجَ لِيَخْلُقَ تُحْفَةً فَنِّيَّةً فَريدَةً.

The artist colors the glass to create a unique masterpiece.

This example shows يُلَوِّنُ in the context of an artist coloring glass for artistic creation.

بَدَأَتْ الشَّرِكَةُ تُلَوِّنُ المُنتَجاتِ بِألوانٍ جَديدَةٍ لِجَذْبِ الزَّبائِنِ.

The company started coloring the products with new colors to attract customers.

Here, يُلَوِّنُ is used to describe a company's marketing strategy of coloring products.

يُلَوِّنُ النَّجّارُ الخَشَبَ لِحِمايَتِهِ مِنَ العَوامِلِ الجَوِّيَةِ.

The carpenter colors the wood to protect it from weather elements.

This sentence uses يُلَوِّنُ to describe the act of painting wood for protection.

تُحِبُّ أُختي الصَّغيرَةُ أنْ تُلَوِّنَ رُسوماتِها بِألوانٍ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ.

My little sister likes to color her drawings with multiple colors.

تُلَوِّنَ is used here to describe a personal preference for coloring drawings.

يُلَوِّنُ الفَلّاحُ جُدرانَ بَيْتِهِ كُلَّ رَبيعٍ.

The farmer colors the walls of his house every spring.

This example illustrates a recurring activity where يُلَوِّنُ refers to painting walls.

هَلْ يُمكنُ أنْ تُلوِّنَ هَذا النَّموذجَ بِاللَّونِ الأَزرقِ؟

Can you color this model blue?

This is a direct question asking someone to color a model in a specific color.

Often Confused With

يُلوّن vs يُرَسم (yurasim)

This is not a standard Arabic verb for drawing or coloring. Learners might try to derive it from 'rasm' (drawing).

يُلوّن vs يُلْوِن (yulwin)

A common mistake in pronunciation or spelling, missing the shaddah on the waw which indicates a geminated consonant and the form II verb.

يُلوّن vs يُلَوِّنُ (yulawwinu)

While grammatically correct with the final vowel, in common speech and writing, the final short vowel is often omitted or elided, leading to confusion for learners expecting it.

Idioms & Expressions

"يلوّن حياته"

To make one's life colorful/vibrant

يحب أن يلوّن حياته بالسفر والمغامرات.

neutral

"يلوّن الحقائق"

To distort/sugarcoat the facts

لا تلوّن الحقائق، كن صريحاً.

neutral

"يلوّن الكلام"

To embellish/exaggerate one's speech

هو يحب أن يلوّن كلامه ليجذب الانتباه.

neutral

"يلوّن الموقف"

To change the perspective/nuance of a situation

حاول أن تلوّن الموقف لتراه من زاوية مختلفة.

neutral

"يلوّن وجهه"

To put on makeup (literally: to color one's face)

قبل الخروج، تلوّن وجهها قليلاً.

neutral

"يلوّن المستقبل"

To make the future brighter/more hopeful

بالعمل الجاد، يمكننا أن نلوّن مستقبلنا.

neutral

"يلوّن اللوحة"

To complete/add details to a picture (figuratively: to add details to a plan/story)

قبل أن نبدأ، دعونا نلوّن اللوحة ببعض الأفكار.

neutral

"يلوّن الأيام"

To make days more interesting/lively

القراءة تلوّن أيامي بالمعرفة والمتعة.

neutral

"يلوّن الأحداث"

To describe events with emotion/personal bias

عندما يروي القصص، يلوّن الأحداث بطريقة شيقة.

neutral

"يلوّن العواطف"

To express emotions with depth/variety

الممثل الجيد يعرف كيف يلوّن عواطفه على المسرح.

neutral

Easily Confused

يُلوّن vs لَوْن

Looks similar to the verb يُلوّن but is actually a noun.

لَوْن (lawn) means 'color' (noun), while يُلوّن (yulawwin) means 'he colors' (verb).

هذا لَوْنٌ جَمِيلٌ. (This is a beautiful color.)

يُلوّن vs أَلْوَان

The plural form of 'color' can be confused with the verb's root.

أَلْوَان (alwān) means 'colors' (plural noun), whereas يُلوّن (yulawwin) is a singular verb.

أُحِبُّ الأَلْوَانَ الزَّاهِيَةَ. (I love bright colors.)

يُلوّن vs يَرْسُم

Often associated with 'coloring' because drawing can involve colors.

يَرْسُم (yarsum) means 'he draws,' focusing on creating an image with lines. يُلوّن (yulawwin) means 'he colors,' focusing on applying color.

يَرْسُمُ صُورَةً لِشَجَرَةٍ. (He draws a picture of a tree.)

يُلوّن vs يَصْبُغ

Both involve applying color, but for different purposes.

يَصْبُغ (yasbūgh) means 'he dyes,' typically referring to changing the color of fabric or hair. يُلوّن (yulawwin) is for applying color to surfaces like paper.

يَصْبُغُ القُمَاشَ بِاللَّوْنِ الأَزْرَقِ. (He dyes the fabric blue.)

يُلوّن vs يَطْلِي

Also involves applying a coating, which can be colorful.

يَطْلِي (yaṭlī) means 'he paints,' specifically applying a coat of paint, often for protection or decoration on walls or furniture. يُلوّن (yulawwin) is more general for adding color, often with crayons or markers.

يَطْلِي الجِدَارَ بِاللَّوْنِ الأَبْيَضِ. (He paints the wall white.)

Tips

Basic form and meaning

The verb يُلوّن (yulawwin) means 'he colors'. It comes from the root ل و ن (l-w-n) which is related to 'color'.

Present tense structure

This is a present tense verb. The 'يُ' (yu) at the beginning tells us it's a male subject in the present tense (he colors).

Female subject

If the subject is female (she colors), it would be تُلوّن (tulawwin), with a 'تُ' (tu) at the beginning.

You (male) form

For 'you (male) color', it's also تُلوّن (tulawwin). Context helps differentiate 'she' from 'you'.

You (female) form

For 'you (female) color', it's تُلوّنين (tulawwineen).

We color

For 'we color', it's نُلوّن (nulawwin).

I color

For 'I color', it's أُلوّن (ulawwin).

Past tense connection

The past tense of this verb, 'he colored', is لوّن (lawwana). Notice the strong connection to the root and the present tense form.

Common usage

You'll often hear this verb when talking about drawing, painting, or filling in coloring books. For example, 'يُلوّن الطفل الرسمة' (yulawwin al-tifl ar-rusma) - 'The child colors the drawing'.

Associated words

Learn related words like لون (lawn) - 'color' (noun), و رسام (rassaam) - 'painter'/'artist'.

Test Yourself 30 questions

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: يُلَوِّنُ الْوَلَدُ الصُّورَةَ.

The boy colors the picture. This order makes a complete and grammatically correct sentence in Arabic.

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: هُوَ يُلَوِّنُ بِفَرَحٍ.

He colors with joy. The pronoun comes first, followed by the verb and then the adverbial phrase.

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: الْفَنّانُ يُلَوِّنُ اللَّوْحَةَ.

The artist colors the painting. The subject 'artist' comes before the verb 'colors' and the object 'painting'.

multiple choice A2

Choose the correct translation for 'هو يُلوّن الجدار'.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: He is painting the wall.

يُلوّن means 'he colors' or 'he paints'.

multiple choice A2

Which word means 'she colors'?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: تُلوّن

تُلوّن is the feminine form of the verb, meaning 'she colors'.

multiple choice A2

Which sentence correctly uses 'يُلوّن'?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: الولد يُلوّن الصورة.

يُلوّن means 'he colors', so 'The boy colors the picture' is the correct usage.

true false A2

The word 'يُلوّن' can be used to say 'he cleans'.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

No, 'يُلوّن' specifically means 'he colors' or 'he paints', not 'he cleans'.

true false A2

If a girl is coloring, you would say 'هي تُلوّن'.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: True

Yes, 'تُلوّن' is the correct form for 'she colors'.

true false A2

The sentence 'أنا أُلوّن' means 'I am coloring'.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: True

Yes, 'أُلوّن' is the first person singular form of the verb, meaning 'I color'.

multiple choice B2

ماذا يفعل الرسام بالفرشاة والألوان؟

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: يُلوّن اللوحة

الرسام يستخدم الفرشاة والألوان لتلوين اللوحة. 'يُلوّن' تعني تطبيق اللون.

multiple choice B2

إذا كان الطفل يحب الرسم، فمن المحتمل أن يحب أن ____.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: يُلوّن كتبه

الأطفال الذين يحبون الرسم غالبًا ما يستمتعون بتلوين الكتب والصور. 'يُلوّن' هنا تعني إضافة الألوان.

multiple choice B2

لجعل الغرفة أكثر بهجة، قررنا أن ____ الجدران بألوان زاهية.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: نُلوّن

لتغيير لون الجدران وجعلها أكثر حيوية، نستخدم الفعل 'نُلوّن' أي نضيف الألوان.

true false B2

كلمة 'يُلوّن' تُستخدم لوصف عملية تغيير لون شيء ما.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: True

نعم، 'يُلوّن' تعني تطبيق الألوان أو تغيير لون شيء ما.

true false B2

عندما نقول 'يُلوّن السماء'، فهذا يعني أن السماء تتغير ألوانها بشكل طبيعي.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: True

بالفعل، 'يُلوّن السماء' يمكن أن يشير إلى تغير ألوان السماء عند الشروق أو الغروب، حيث تظهر السماء بألوان مختلفة.

true false B2

يمكن استخدام 'يُلوّن' لوصف شخص يغني بصوت جميل.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

لا، 'يُلوّن' لا تستخدم لوصف الغناء. إنها تتعلق بتطبيق الألوان فقط.

fill blank C1

لقد أمضت الفنانة ساعات في ___ اللوحة لتظهر التفاصيل الدقيقة.