Naranja vs Anaranjado: The Color Orange In Spanish

“Naranja” and “anaranjado” are two words used in the Spanish language and that in English have the same meaning: “Orange”. Spanish-speaking people, thanks to the fact that it is their native language, can use both words correctly and naturally without any problem, understanding in which context to use them since they may have minimal differences.

However, it is not so easy for a non-Spanish-speaking person to know the difference between these two words and to use them correctly, although, to tell the truth, you could say the word “naranja” all your life and never mention “anaranjado/a” in any context, and you will always have spoken correctly. However, whoever wants to learn a new language will always have the intention of improving their vocabulary and learning to use as many words as possible, no matter how many synonyms are included in their learning.

This is why, at SpanishVIP, we want to teach you how to say “naranja” and “anaranjado/a”, so that you learn the difference between the two words, and that, about colors, you have no problem using these terms at any time.

Difference between “naranja” and “anaranjado”

According to one of the meanings of “naranja”, the only difference between this and the other word is that the first one is a fruit, and “anaranjado” is a color (the same color as this fruit). However, when we speak directly of the second meaning of “naranja”, which is color, there would be no difference between the two words, being an adjective used to refer to an object, animal, or person that is of this color.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the meaning of “naranja” can be both the fruit and the color, so at the official or popular level there are no disagreements about using this word in the way each individual wishes, depending on the context.

On the other hand, there is a group of people who, when they use the word “orange”, refer more than anything to the nuances that complement a color that is not completely orange. Still, most Spanish speakers do not make much difference between “orange” and “orange” when referring to the color of something.

Another simple difference that we could find between “naranja” and “anaranjado” is that “naranja” is a neutral word, that is, it has no gender:

• Esta camiseta es naranja. (This shirt is orange).
• El árbol naranja de mi patio trasero se va a caer. (The orange tree in my backyard is going to fall).
• No hay una rosa naranja en mi jardín, pero sí un fruto naranja. (There is not an orange rose in my garden, but there is an orange fruit).

Meanwhile, the word “anaranjado” can have a gender (female: anaranjada), so it is necessary to correctly use the gender of this color depending on whether the object, animal, or person spoken of is feminine or masculine:

Masculine:

• Necesito unos pantalones anaranjados para ir a la escuela. (I need some orange pants to go to school).
• Si te pintas el pelo de anaranjado, te verás raro. (If you dye your hair orange, you’ll look weird).

Feminine:

• Las mandarinas son anaranjadas cuando maduran. (Tangerines are orange when ripe).
• La gaseosa anaranjada es la que más me gusta. (The orange soda is my favorite).

Vocabulary to differentiate all the words related to “orange” in Spanish depending on whether it is an adjective or a noun.

Use of “naranja” and “anaranjado” singular and plural

There is a big difference between the word orange in English and Spanish, and that is that, in addition to the fact that the word in Spanish has a gender, it can also be plural as long as it is describing a group of two or more things, animals, food, people, etc.

Singular

Naranja – Anaranjado / Anaranjada

Some examples are:

• Tengo una camisa naranja – I have an orange shirt.
• Cuando el sol se oculta, la vista es anaranjada – When the sun goes down, the view is orange.
• Mi pastel es anaranjado gracias a que tiene un poco de calabaza – My cake is orange since it has a little bit of pumpkin.

Plural

Naranjas – Anaranjados / Anaranjadas

Some examples are: 

• No hay tantas frutas naranjas como frutas rojas. – There are not as many orange fruits as red fruits.
• Tu pantalón tiene rayas anaranjadas, ¡Que genial! – Your pants have orange stripes, how cool!
• Los labios de Vanessa están un poco anaranjados. – Vanessa’s lips are a bit orange.

Shades of oranges in Spanish

As you well know, colors have many shades and tones, and one of the ways to differentiate one color from another is by highlighting whether it is dark or light. There are more than 130 shades of the color orange, but the ones most used in the everyday language of Spanish speakers are the following:

• Naranja claro. – Light orange.
• Naranja oscuro. – Dark orange.
• Naranja pastel. – Pastel orange.

Some examples are:

• Debes utilizar el naranja oscuro para colorear este dibujo. – You must use dark orange to color that drawing.
• Normalmente, el pico de los patos es color naranja claro. – Duck bills are normally light orange in color.
• Me encanta ese vestido color naranja pastel. – I love that pastel orange dress.

Orange objects in Spanish

Nothing better than learning more vocabulary that is related to the color orange than learning how objects, food, or animals of this color are translated into Spanish. In this case, when talking specifically about orange objects in Spanish, we have a table with the best known below:

Look at some phrases related to these orange objects:

• Las cajas negras de los aviones son anaranjadas. – Black boxes on airplanes are orange.
  
• Las hojas son verdes en primavera, mientras que en otoño son naranjas. – The leaves are green in spring, while in the fall they are orange.
  
• Toma la cabeza de calabaza anaranjada que ves allí. – Take the orange pumpkin head you see there.
  
• Existen varios tipos de macetas para plantas, las marrones o las naranjas. – There are several types of pots for plants, brown or orange.
  
• Si tomas las pastillas anaranjadas obtendrás un buen contenido de vitamina C. – If you take the orange pills you will get a good content of vitamin C.
  
• ¿Por qué el balón de baloncesto es anaranjado? – Why is the basketball orange?
  
• Los ladrillos no son naranjas antes de fabricarlos. – Bricks are not orange before they are made.
  
• Esa flor anaranjada que ves allí es una flor gerbera. – That orange flower you see there is a gerbera flower.

Orange Food in Spanish

There are different orange foods, mainly fruits and vegetables or foods from nature, so here is a list of the best-known orange foods:

Look at some phrases related to these orange foods:

• En Halloween, los niños decoraron una calabaza de color naranja. – The orange fruit that I like the most is pumpkin.
  
• Las naranjas son anaranjadas cuando maduran. – Oranges are orange when ripe.
  
• El jugo de mandarina tiene color naranja, pero el jugo de naranja es de color amarillo. – Tangerine juice is orange in color, but orange juice is yellow in color.
  
• Comer mucha zanahoria podría poner la piel de los niños anaranjada. – Eating too much carrot could turn children ‘s skin orange.
  
• El jugo de papaya con naranja es una mezcla perfecta de frutas anaranjadas. – Papaya juice with orange is a perfect mix of orange fruits.
  
• Los duraznos y los albaricoques se parecen mucho, pero los primeros son anaranjados y los segundos amarillos. – Peaches and apricots look a lot alike, but the former are orange and the latter are yellow.
  
• El boniato también es conocido como la papa naranja. – The sweet potato is also known as the orange potato.
  
• El níspero no es un alimento tan conocido, pero por su color anaranjado, se parece a algunas frutas. – The medlar is not a well-known food, but due to its orange color, it resembles some fruits.

Orange animals in Spanish

Although it is not usual, different animals are orange in color or have orange stripes or spots on their direct skin or their fur. Learn about some of these animals and how they are translated into Spanish.

Look at some phrases related to these orange animals:

• Hay una mariposa anaranjada, que es la mariposa monarca. – There is an orange butterfly, which is the monarch butterfly.
• El pez payaso es muy conocido gracias a sus franjas anaranjadas y blancas. – The clownfish is well known thanks to its orange and white stripes.
• No verás un ave tan cabezón como el gallito de las rocas guayacanes anaranjadas. – You will not see a bird as stubborn as the orange guayacan cock-of-the-rock.
• La tarántula babuina naranja tiene una mordida fuerte. – The orange baboon tarantula has a strong bite.
• De los felinos, el tigre es el único de color anaranjado. – Of the cats, the tiger is the only orange color.
• Los zorros tienen un pelaje naranja muy lindo. – Foxes have very cute orange fur.
• Los cangrejos y las langostas se parecen, ambos son anaranjados y tienen pinzas. – Crabs and lobsters look alike, both are orange and have claws.
• La serpiente de maíz tiene matices anaranjados, pero es principalmente amarilla. – The corn snake has orange undertones, but is mostly yellow.

Colorín colorado…

As you have seen, in Spanish Vocabulary, the words “naranja” and “anaranjado” can be interpreted in the same way when we want to mention the color orange in Spanish. They may have some grammatical or gender differences that are easy to classify depending on whether we are talking about a female or male animal, person, or object.

Without a doubt, it is great to know how to differentiate these words and recognize these details, which, although they are minimal, allow you to improve your Spanish and appear to have a more native accent. Details like those that make the difference are what we at SpanishVIP want to highlight, and for this reason, if you are interested in improving your way of speaking, we want to give you a free Spanish lesson or a 7-day trial in our group classes that will motivate you to perform great speaking conversational Spanish like Spanish speakers.