Definition
A colour, or the quality of colour that something has. Can also mean mood, joy, or character in informal use.
Example
उसकी साड़ी का रंग बहुत सुंदर है।
Show translation
The colour of her sari is very beautiful.
Etymology
From Sanskrit रङ्ग (raṅga), meaning "colour, dye, stage, or theatre." The root is shared with raṅgabhūmi (stage/arena) and the festival Holi, which is sometimes called the festival of colours — रंगों का त्योहार. The word travelled unchanged into Urdu, Persian loanword lists adopted it, and it spread widely across South and Southeast Asian languages.
Cultural note
रंग carries rich cultural weight in India. The spring festival Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil through an explosion of coloured powders and water — making रंग central to one of the subcontinent's most joyous events. Beyond the literal, रंग is used figuratively: रंग लाना (to bear fruit / to show effect) and ज़िंदगी के रंग (the colours of life, i.e., life's varied experiences) are common idioms. In classical poetry and Bollywood alike, रंग is a metaphor for love, mood, and transformation.