German words for kids · Colors
How to say “red” in German
Red is often the first color a toddler names: apples, fire engines, strawberries, stop signs. It's a bright, easy one to start with.
Red in German
rot
Sounds like ≈ ROHT
Good to know: Before a noun rot picks up an ending: ein roter Apfel (a red apple). On its own after ist it stays rot.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our German songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Rot, blau, gelb und grün!
Red, blue, yellow, green!
from Farben überall (Colors Everywhere)
Rot wie ein Apfel!
Red like an apple!
from Rot wie ein Apfel (Red Like an Apple)
Er wird rot, dann blau, dann lila!
He turns red, then blue, then purple!
from Acht Arme (The Octopus Song)
3 songs that teach it
“Red” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in German with its English meaning.
Farben überall
Colors Everywhere · Colors · Premium
- rot · red
- blau · blue
- gelb · yellow
- grün · green
Rot wie ein Apfel
Red Like an Apple · Colors · Premium
- rot · red
- Apfel · apple
- wie · like/as
- rosa · pink
Acht Arme
The Octopus Song · At the Sea · Premium
- der Krake · octopus
- acht Arme · eight arms
- fünf · five
- sechs · six
Also sung in: Ein roter Apfel, Die Formen.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Go on a red hunt around the house and say rot each time you find something.
- 2At snack time, name everything red on the plate: tomatoes, strawberries, apple peel.
- 3Point to red cars on a drive and keep a running count in German.
Related German words
“Red” in other languages
Sing it in German, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Germanhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using German songs with your family.