The shape was chosen by analogy with the common triangular road hazard signs in Germany that denote warnings to motorists. Here, a triangle is called inverted because its base is up while one of its angles points down.

In addition to color-coding, some groups had to put letter insignia on their triangles to denote country of origin. For example, a red triangle with an "F" on it denoted a political prisoner from France.

The most common forms of the badge were:

• Pink inverted triangle - a homosexual.
• Green inverted triangle - a regular criminal.
• Red inverted triangle - a political prisoner.
• Purple inverted triangle - a Jehovah's Witness.
• Black inverted triangle -
  • A vagrant
  • A Gypsy
  • A woman jailed for "anti-social behavior", i.e., a lesbian, a prostitute or woman who used birth control.

• Two yellow triangles, superimposed upon one another, making the Star of David - a Jew.
• Pink inverted triangle superimposed upon a yellow one, making the Star of David - a homosexual Jew.

{| border=1 | |Political |Habitual Criminals |Emigrants |Jehovah's Witnesses |Gay males |Vagrants |- |Basic colors |Red triangle |Green triangle |Blue triangle |Purple triangle | | |- |Markings for Repeaters |Red bar above triangle |Green bar above triangle |Blue bar above triangle |Purple bar above triangle |Pink bar above triangle |Black bar above triangle |- |Inmates of Penal Battalions |Circled black circle under red triangle |Circled black circle under green triangle |Circled black circle under blue triangle |Circled black circle under purple triangle |Circled black circle under pink triangle |Circled black circle under black triangle |- |Markings for Jews |Red triangle over uninverted yellow triangle |Green triangle over yellow triangle |Blue triangle over yellow triangle |Purple triangle over yellow triangle |Pink triangle over yellow triangle |Black triangle over yellow triangle |- |rowspan=2|Special Markings |Male Race Defiler: Thick outline of black triangle over uinverted yellow triangle |Female Race Defiler: Univerted yellow triangle over black triangle |Escape Suspect: A circled red circle under the appropriate star |Inmate Number: A white rectangle with serial number |colspan=2 rowspan=2|Applicable marks were worn in descending order as follows: Inmate Number, Repeater Bar, Triangle or Star, Member of Penal Battalion, Escape Suspect |- |Pole: "P" on a red triangle |Czech: "T" on a red triangle |Member of the Armed Forces: Univerted red triangle |Special Inmate: Brown arm band |+Form and Color of Markings of Camp Inmates in the Concentration Camps |}

See also

• Yellow badge