
How To Name And Pronounce Colors in Spanish
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Colors are more than just visual experiences—they’re a vibrant part of language and culture, reflecting the way people see and interpret the world. In Spanish, colors are used daily, not only to describe what we see but also to convey emotions, cultural values, and even superstitions.
For instance, did you know that the color red is often associated with passion and energy in Spanish-speaking cultures, while green might bring to mind nature and tranquility? These associations can differ widely from one country to another, offering a fascinating glimpse into the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.
Learning the names of colors in Spanish is an essential step for any language learner, but it’s more than just memorizing vocabulary. It’s about understanding how these words fit into sentences, how they agree with the nouns they describe, and how they can be used to express everything from simple descriptions to complex ideas.
Imagine being able to describe a sunset, choose the perfect outfit, or even decode the symbolism in a piece of art—all in Spanish. Whether you’re a beginner looking to expand your vocabulary or an intermediate learner wanting to add depth to your conversations, mastering colors in Spanish will brighten up your language skills in more ways than one.
Basic Colors In Spanish
The most important colors are
- Amarillo – Yellow
- Anaranjado / Naranja – Orange
- Verde – Green
- Azul – Blue
- Púrpura / Morado – Purple
- Rojo – Red
- Rosado / Rosa – Pink
- Negro – Black
- Marrón / Café – Brown
- Gris – Gray / Grey
- Blanco – White
Other Colors in Spanish
Spanish 10781_c866d6-e1> |
English 10781_afeec3-0c> |
---|---|
Ámbar 10781_9ee55c-27> |
Amber 10781_6d7254-12> |
Aguamarina 10781_c5096b-12> |
Aquamarine 10781_940007-27> |
Magenta 10781_8d94d5-11> |
Magenta 10781_4155b3-8d> |
Azul Marino 10781_dc8495-64> |
Navy Blue 10781_0fea1a-c1> |
Cobre 10781_3e50d6-0d> |
Copper 10781_72baac-71> |
Cian 10781_4020b9-b1> |
Cyan 10781_a5242e-4f> |
Fucsia 10781_eed057-04> |
Fuchsia 10781_a089c3-95> |
Dorado 10781_a14278-b4> |
Gold 10781_9dc728-ae> |
Salmón 10781_f5d89d-1d> |
Salmon 10781_e60f90-61> |
Escarlata 10781_aa7d18-7d> |
Scarlet 10781_ad7235-0b> |
Índigo 10781_89820f-76> |
Indigo 10781_1ccb65-2c> |
Lila 10781_9eda5d-44> |
Lilac 10781_aa5b9f-53> |
Verde Limón, Verde Lima 10781_f79d61-f1> |
Lime Green 10781_b5e415-f4> |
Plateado 10781_585d05-29> |
Silver 10781_77459b-31> |
Celeste 10781_1ff327-1f> |
Sky Blue 10781_5cb7bd-24> |
Verde Azulado 10781_2a40aa-1d> |
Teal 10781_297e70-1b> |
Turquesa 10781_e36b9b-59> |
Turquoise 10781_388bf6-65> |
Violeta 10781_650f70-9d> |
Violet 10781_f8dee1-92> |
Light and Dark Colors in Spanish
If you want to tell a dark or light color instead of a particular color, you simply have to say the primary color in Spanish followed by “obscuro” or “claro” respectively.
Examples
- Rojo Oscuro – Dark Red
- Azul Claro – Light Blue
- Verde Oscuro – Dark Green
QUICK NOTE…
There are other words that you can use to describe colors in Spanish, you can also use: Brillante, Opaco, Fosforescente y Pastel.
Gender Agreement for Colors in Spanish
As you already might know, nouns (also called “sustantivos”) are masculine or feminine, and colors also follow these rules. But the good news is that they can be changed.
Changing the color gender is simple, all it takes is replacing the last letter of the color. If the noun is masculine (ending with the letter o or e) or feminine (ending with the letter a). So remember, you must change the last letter of the color name to match the noun.
Let’s check some examples.
- La bandera blanca – “The white flag” (the word Bandera is feminine),
- El lápiz blanco – “The white pencil” ( the word Lápiz is masculine)
- El sueter rojo – “The red jacket” ( the word Sueter is masculine)
- La rosa roja – “The red rose” ( the word Rosa is feminine)
DID YOU KNOW…?
In English, there is only one definite article, “the.” In Spanish, you must choose between four definite articles: el, la, los, and las. Which one you choose depends on the noun which follows. The definite articles in Spanish address two things: gender, and if a word is singular or plural.
- El – Masculine singular
- La – Feminine singular
- Los – Masculine plural
- Las – Feminine plural
Spanish Colors That Change with Gender
English Color 10781_4986b9-2b> |
Masculine singular (Base) 10781_e2f657-54> |
Feminine singular 10781_f1e232-29> |
Masculine plural 10781_d1c06c-ca> |
Feminine plural 10781_a5ea70-12> |
---|---|---|---|---|
Red 10781_c1956f-0f> |
Red 10781_cd2bc1-9c> |
Roja 10781_83c8d3-7c> |
Rojos 10781_565b3d-95> |
Rojas 10781_445f0c-3b> |
Yellow 10781_09ceb4-79> |
Amarillo 10781_879284-be> |
Amarilla 10781_156144-78> |
Amarillos 10781_8a6ca4-87> |
Amarillas 10781_3b72e8-12> |
Orange 10781_a3e741-ff> |
Anaranjado 10781_899777-ff> |
Anaranjada 10781_b49293-d2> |
Anaranjados 10781_bfc2a4-49> |
Anaranjados 10781_ae8fd9-27> |
Black 10781_5bc536-e9> |
Negro 10781_6d9865-3a> |
Negra 10781_5e1058-7e> |
Negros 10781_32fd26-8c> |
Negras 10781_2e18ff-9e> |
White 10781_5b5e38-d0> |
Blanco 10781_a48866-8b> |
Blanca 10781_61c6fb-9c> |
Blancos 10781_84414f-42> |
Blancas 10781_24dbfd-d4> |
Purple 10781_ea4dda-17> |
Morado 10781_709b72-e6> |
Morada 10781_61efa7-a0> |
Morados 10781_dc2001-00> |
Moradas 10781_a5682b-36> |
Pink 10781_dace9b-46> |
Rosado 10781_3f9382-b9> |
Rosada 10781_bf7d05-0f> |
Rosados 10781_ebc04f-95> |
Rosadas 10781_fae730-1a> |
Golden 10781_cfa02d-c9> |
Dorado 10781_541f73-bd> |
Dorada 10781_fda798-62> |
Dorados 10781_3a8068-90> |
Doradas 10781_76ce64-91> |
Siver 10781_c8d7e6-93> |
Plateado 10781_8fe52a-bc> |
Plateada 10781_32367a-1a> |
Plateados 10781_bbeb67-bc> |
Plateadas 10781_a6f4ce-58> |
Notice how in the previous examples the color adjective ending with -o changes to an -a in the feminine form. But, not all of them follow these rules:
Spanish Colors That Don’t Change with Gender
English Color 10781_562cd2-6b> |
Masculine singular (Base) 10781_006727-08> |
Feminine singular 10781_ac6792-bc> |
Masculine plural 10781_d17a96-0b> |
Feminine plural 10781_e65601-ef> |
---|---|---|---|---|
Green 10781_9a1d99-20> |
Verde 10781_ab3053-7a> |
Verde 10781_0f67fa-8c> |
Verdes 10781_50cae5-8d> |
Verdes 10781_ac4f84-8f> |
Blue 10781_d9ab1d-d0> |
Azul 10781_7c26ed-28> |
Azul 10781_a97b67-c2> |
Azules 10781_dc6021-f5> |
Azules 10781_92249c-5e> |
Gray/Grey 10781_f0f5d6-1c> |
Gris 10781_e0cb8a-77> |
Gris 10781_47f608-90> |
Grises 10781_8b9b2c-b5> |
Grises 10781_351693-43> |
Brown 10781_17f206-13> |
Marrón 10781_147c3f-09> |
Marrón 10781_3356f2-5c> |
Marrones 10781_dc7192-78> |
Marrones 10781_2bf3b0-90> |
Pink 10781_cae369-9c> |
Rosa 10781_06f49a-56> |
Rosa 10781_518b4b-e5> |
Rosa/Rosas 10781_8fd80b-1a> |
Rosa/Rosas 10781_88a81e-eb> |
Magenta 10781_cac6d7-b2> |
Magenta 10781_e233ce-dc> |
Magenta 10781_e7afbe-12> |
Magentas 10781_a6a7c7-83> |
Magentas 10781_f2ba94-61> |
Orange 10781_0a0a1f-35> |
Naranja 10781_14c9ba-fb> |
Naranja 10781_61a92b-5a> |
Naranjas 10781_603a02-82> |
Naranjas 10781_cabfd0-ab> |
Turquoise 10781_4135af-2d> |
Turquesa 10781_8e53f8-24> |
Turquesa 10781_df1537-a9> |
Turquesas 10781_e3c5ea-c7> |
Turquesas 10781_f96c89-e1> |
Brown 10781_15ea67-c5> |
Café 10781_f84e91-3e> |
Café 10781_3c534e-30> |
Cafés 10781_3b1b1b-dc> |
Cafés 10781_6ce8c8-ee> |
Violet 10781_9069bd-72> |
Violeta 10781_e8e00a-c7> |
Violeta Violeta 10781_907064-47> |
Violeta/Violetas 10781_a1078a-a0> |
Violeta/Violetas 10781_ac8340-f7> |
The Grammar for Colors in Spanish
Adjectives word order
Colors can be used as adjectives to describe a subject or noun. Like other adjectives in Spanish, the color comes after the noun in a sentence.
Take a look at some examples here.
- La casa rosada (The pink house)
- La manzana verde (The green apple)
- La bolsa roja (The red bag)
- El perro blanco (The white dog)
- La mesa azul (The blue table)
- Las sillas amarillas (The yellow chairs)
- Los aretes plateados (The silver earrings)
Colors As Nouns
Colors can also act as nouns when they represent a person or object. All color nouns are masculine, even when they end in -a since the masculine word is the base word.
Some examples include the following.
- Me gusta el color rosa. – I like the pink color.
- El violeta es mi color favorito. – Violet is my favorite color.
Using the Verb To Be (Ser and Estar)
In order to make sentences with Spanish colors, we can use the verb “ser”. Note that the color must match the gender of the noun and the number of the subject (if the subject is plural, the color must be plural).
- El vestido es morado. – The dress is purple.
- La camisa es morada. – The shirt is purple.
- Los globos son rojos. – The balloons are red.
We can also use the verb “estar” if we want to refer to a color of an object in a temporary matter.
- Tu cara está roja por el sol. – Your face is red from the sun.
- El cielo está gris. – The sky is grey right now.
- Los tomates están verdes aún. – The tomato is green still.
QUICK NOTE…
Still not getting the hang of the verbs “Estar” and “Ser”? Check out our full guide on Ser vs Estar and we promise you’ll
Spanish Expressions and Phrases
- ¿Cuál es tu color favorito? – What is your favorite color?
- Mi color favorito es el azul. – My favorite color is blue.
- Mi color preferido es el gris oscuro. – My favorite color is dark grey.
- El color que más me gusta es el rosa brillante. – The color I like the most is bright pink.
- El color que menos me gusta es el rojo. – The color I like the least is red.
- No me gusta el color verde oliva. – I don’t like olive green.
- Prefiero el color amarillo que el color café. – I prefer the color yellow to the color brown.
Me encanta el color turquesa. – I love the color turquoise.
Final notes to practice and learn the Colors in Spanish
- Draw circles on a piece of paper and fill them with an individual color: This method is the simplest way to practice the colors, you can stick that paper in your bed so you can see it every day, write the different forms of each color so you can study their genders.
- Use sticky notes to identify objects’ gender and color: A good way to practice noun genders is to put a sticky note to objects in your bedroom, write in the note the name of the object and try to identify the gender, after that, try to create a sentence using the color of the object as an adjective.
- Play with your mind: When you’re bored in any place, try to watch everything around you and try to think of its color in Spanish as fast as possible, without thinking in English, only Spanish!
We hope that you had fun with this, remember, this is a topic that requires some time of practice and study, so you can start over whenever you like, and, if you feel like you need help with your learning journey, you can always trust SpanishVIP to do that! You can have a free Spanish lesson or a 7-day free trial of our group classes today and never stop learning!