Colors in Spanish
This post includes:
- 4 infographics,
- audios to correct your pronunciation,
- 5 practical exercises.
Have you ever heard this expression?
para gustos, los colores – to each his own
It means that there are as many opinions as there are colors.
Now let’s study the vocabulary of colors in Spanish (basic colors and color palettes) and practice grammar related to them. Colors play a major role in describing people, places, animals, and objects, as well as speaking like a native speaker. Let’s go!
Basic Colors in Spanish
We’ve got you covered for the basic colors in Spanish. If you’re looking for something more in-depth, then keep reading!
- [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amarillo.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] amarillo - yellow [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/azul.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] azul - blue [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/rojo.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] rojo - red [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/verde.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] verde - green [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/violeta.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] violeta - violet [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/rosa.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] rosa, rosado - pink [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/naranja.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] naranja - orange [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/marrón.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] marrón - brown [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/blanco.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] blanco - white [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/gris.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] gris - grey [mp3j track="https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/negro.mp3" title="" ind="n" volslider="n" flow="y"] negro - black
Table of Contents
- Basic Colors
- More Colors: Primary, Secondary, Cool and Warm
2.1 Practical Exercise
2.2 Pastel and Fluorescent Colors in Spanish
2.3 Practical Exercise - Grammar Rules
3.1 Colors in Spanish as Nouns or Adjectives
3.2 Variable Color Adjectives in Spanish
3.3 Invariable Color Adjectives in Spanish
3.4 Practical Exercise
3.5 SER or ESTAR When Speaking About Colors? - Expressions with Colors in Spanish
4.1 Practical Exercise
More Colors: Primary, Secondary, Cool and Warm
Let’s start with the basics. Do you know what los colores primarios y secundarios (EN: the primary and secondary colors) are?
Primary colors or pure colors are amarillo, azul, and rojo. They are those that have not been mixed with any other color.
Secondary colors are the result of mixing two primary colors: verde (yellow + blue), violeta (blue + red), and naranja (yellow + red).
And what is the mixture of a primary color with a secondary color called? Colores terciarios (EN: tertiary colors). For example:
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amarillo-anaranjado.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] amarillo-anaranjado – yellow-orange
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/azul-verdoso.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] azul-verdoso – blue-green
Colors can also be divided into cálidos (EN: warm) or fríos (EN: cool) according to the color theory of the nineteenth century.
Cool colors are those that inspire tranquility, and calm and we associate them with winter and forests:
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/turquesa.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] turquesa – turquoise
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cian.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] cian – cyan
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/índigo.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] índigo – indigo
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/azul.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] azul – blue
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/violeta.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] violeta – violet
Warm colors evoke joy, activity, and fun:
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/escarlata.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] escarlata – scarlet
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/rojo.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] rojo – red
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/naranja.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] naranja – orange
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amarillo.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] amarillo – yellow
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/verde-limón.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] verde-limón – lemon-green or yellow-green
Therefore, blue, violet, and many types of green are cool colors, but yellow, orange, red, and some shades of pink and green are warm colors.
Let’s play a bit! What color are you?
Choose the answer that describes you best and find out what color you are according to your personality!
After seeing the basic colors, we can go one step further and talk about color scheme in Spanish. There are many shades and hues of one color. For example, a color can be dark or strong, such as navy blue, or light or soft, such as sky blue or light blue.
Pastel and Fluorescent Colors in Spanish
But there are also pastel and fluorescentes (EN: pastel and fluorescent).
Pastel colors are very soft shades of colors. To talk about them you just have to add the word pastel after the name of a color:
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amarillo-pastel.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] amarillo pastel – pastel yellow
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/azul-pastel.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] azul pastel – pastel blue
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/verde-pastel.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] verde pastel – pastel green
On the contrary, fluorescent colors are very intense and striking shades. They are also colloquially called colores chillones (EN: loud/garish colors) that “shout” or “speak” very loudly because they attract a lot of attention. To talk about them we just add the word fluorescente after the name of a color:
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amarillo-fluorescente.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] amarillo fluorescente – fluorescent yellow
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/azul-fluorescente.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] azul fluorescente – fluorescent blue
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/verde-fluorescente.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] verde fluorescente – fluorescent green
Fútbol Club Barcelona
azul + granate = azulgrana
El jugador azulgrana marcó un gol en el último minuto.
El azulgrana = El futbolista del equipo azulgrana (Fútbol Club Barcelona).
Club Deportivo Tenerife
blanco + azul = blaquiazul
Los blanquiazules jugaron un partido increíble.
Los blanquiazules = Los futbolistas del equipo blanquiazul (Club Deportivo Tenerife).
When there are more than two colors, it’s done differently. For example, the Ecuadorian national soccer team (amarillo, azul, and rojo) is called La Tricolor, because it has three colors.
In the Olympic Games, the medals also have colors.
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/la-medalla-de-oro.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] la medalla de oro – the gold medal
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/la-medalla-de-plata.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] la medalla de plata – the silver medal
[mp3j track=”https://letsspeakspanish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/la-medalla-de-bronce.mp3″ title=”” ind=”n” volslider=”n” flow=”y”] la medalla de bronce – the bronze medal
But what happens when we want to talk about shades similar to these metals?
Mi coche es dorado.
My car is gold.
La llave de nuestra casa es plateada.
The key to our house is silver.
Tengo un anillo bronce, pero es de plástico.
I have a tan ring, but it’s made of plastic.
We can also use them to identify tones:
Tu reloj es gris plata.
Your watch is silver grey.
El coche de mis abuelos es amarillo oro.
My grandparents’ car is golden yellow.
No me gusta ese marrón, prefiero el marrón bronce.
I don’t like that brown, I prefer bronze brown.
Grammar Rules
Colors in Spanish as Nouns or Adjectives
Colors can be used as nouns (Blue is my favorite color) or adjectives (I prefer blue blouses).
The names of the colors are all masculine: el rojo, el negro, el turquesa,…
-
El rojo es el color de la pasión.
Red is the color of passion. -
Los azules transmiten calma y tranquilidad.
Blues transmit calm and tranquility. -
Es increíble la cantidad de verdes que hay en la naturaleza.
It's amazing how much green there is in nature.
There are also some colors that can be used as personal names, normally for women, and are pretty common in the Hispanic world: Blanca, Violeta, Rosa, and Lila. Used in masculine some colors are surnames like Blanco or Rojo.
-
Blanca es mi mejor amiga y su madre se llama Violeta.
Blanca is my best friend and her mother's name is Violeta. -
El señor Rojo es el secretario de la escuela.
Mr. Rojo is the school secretary.
However, if they accompany a noun it has to function like any other adjective, e.g., it can be masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
Variable Color Adjectives in Spanish
Color adjectives function like other normal adjectives. They have to agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and in number (singular or plural) with the noun they accompany.
-
No me gustan las camisetas rojas de la selección española de fútbol.
I don't like the red jerseys of the Spanish national soccer team. -
Martina tiene el pelo rojo.
Martina has red hair.
This is how the colors work: blanco, negro, amarillo, rojo, rosado.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|---|
|
-o (masculino) |
+s |
|
-a (femenino) |
+s |
Other colors only have a different form for the plural and singular. The masculine and feminine have the same form.
- La camiseta marrón. Las camisetas marrones.
- El libro marrón. Los libros marrones.
In this way we use the colors: marrón, azul, verde y gris.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|---|
|
-consonante/-e azul |
+es azules |
Invariable Color Adjectives in Spanish
Finally, colors that also represent other objects (flowers, precious stones, fruits, etc.) are usually used as invariables.
-
Las casas naranja son muy feas.
The orange houses are very ugly. -
Me encanta ese vestido turquesa.
I love that turquoise dress. -
Pues yo prefiero esos pantalones lila.
Well, I prefer those lilac pants.
In this group of colors we have: naranja, turquesa, lila, violeta, rosa, coral,…
Attention:
These adjectives can also be used as variables with plural nouns, but they are always gender invariant.
Los edificios corales del centro de la ciudad son muy modernos.
Esos jarrones violetas no son míos, son de Luisa.
Esos jarrones violetos no son míos, son de Luisa.
SER or ESTAR When Speaking About Colors?
To describe the physical characteristics of people, animals, objects, and places we use the verb SER + the corresponding color.
Los habitantes de Venus son azules – The inhabitants of Venus are blue
Mi gato Manolo es gris – My cat Manolo is grey
El jarrón que compró Marta es verde turquesa – The vase that Marta bought is turquoise green
La casa de mis abuelos era amarilla y estaba en un lugar que era muy verde. Había árboles por todas partes – My grandparents’ house was yellow and it was in a place that was very green. There were trees everywhere
When we use colors with the verb ESTAR we speak of physical states (estar blanco/a, estar rojo/a) and not of physical characteristics.
-La camisa es rosa. ¡Es muy bonita!
+Sí, es preciosa.
-¡Oh, no! La camisa está rosa. ¿Qué ha pasado?
+Lo siento. He puesto mis calcetines rojos con la ropa blanca.
-Mamá, ¿los extraterrestres son rosas?
+No lo sé, mi niña. A lo mejor son verdes o azules.
–Estás muy blanca. ¿Estás bien, Ana?
+No, creo que necesito azúcar. ¿Y tú? Estás muy rojo.
-Es normal. Es que vengo del gimnasio y tengo mucho calor.
Therefore, we use the verb SER to talk about physical characteristics and the verb ESTAR to talk about physical states.
Expressions with Colors in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
|
Para gustos, los colores. -Mi película favorita es Amélie. |
To each his own. -My favorite movie is Amélie. |
|
No hay color. -¿Qué tal tu ordenador nuevo? |
There's no comparison! -How's your new computer? |
|
Ser más raro que un perro verde. -¿Estás comiendo pizza con una cuchara? |
To be an odd duck. -Are you eating pizza with a spoon? |
|
Dar luz verde. -El presidente ha dado luz verde al nuevo proyecto. |
To give a green light. -The president has given the green light to the new project. |
|
Poner verde a alguien. -Martina y Lucía no tienen muy buena relación, ¿verdad? |
To speak ill of another person. -Martina and Lucía don't have a very good relationship, do they? |
|
Estar verde en algo. -¿Quién va a hacer el nuevo proyecto?¿Manuel? |
To have no experience in something. -Who is going to do the new project? Manuel? |
|
Quedarse en blanco. -Mañana tengo un examen oral y estoy muy nervioso. La última vez me quedé en blanco. |
One's mind goes blank. -I have an oral exam tomorrow and I'm very nervous. Last time my mind went blank. |
|
Dar en el blanco. -Por 5.000 euros: ¿Cuál es la capital de Tazmania? |
To hit the bull's eye. -For 5,000 euros: What is the capital of Tazmania? |
|
Dar carta blanca. -¿Cómo tenemos que hacer el diseño? |
To give carte blanche. -How do we have to do the design? |
|
Estar sin blanca. / Estar en números rojos -Oye, Dani. ¿Salimos el viernes a cenar? |
To be broke./ To not have money. -Hey, Dani. Shall we go out for dinner on Friday? |
|
Ir de punta en blanco. -Mi jefa siempre va de punta en blanco. |
To be well dressed./ To dress to the nines. -My boss always is dressed up to the nines. |
|
Pasar la noche en blanco. -¿Estás bien? Tienes mala cara. |
Not sleep a wink. -Are you all right? You look bad. |
|
Ponerse rojo como un tomate. -El pobre Luis es muy tímido. Cada vez que habla en público se pone rojo como un tomate. |
To turn red as a tomato. -Poor Luis is very shy. Every time he speaks in public he turns red as a tomato. |
|
Ver las cosas de color de rosa. / Ver todo negro -Anabel es demasiado optimista. |
Always look on the bright side of life. -Anabel is too optimistic. |
|
Prensa rosa/amarilla. -No me gusta ese periódico. La prensa amarilla solo busca provocar al lector. No tienen valores. |
Yellow press./ Tabloids. -I don't like that newspaper. The yellow press only seeks to provoke the reader. They have no values. |
|
Ser un marrón. / Comerse un marrón. -Matías ha tenido un accidente con el coche del jefe. |
It's a big mess. / To take the blame for it. -Matías has had an accident with the boss's car. |
|
Ser de sangre azul. / Ser un príncipe azul. -La reina de este país se casó con un hombre que no es de sangre azul. Era profesor de matemáticas. |
To be of blue (noble) blood./ Be the Prince Charming. -The queen of this country married a man who is not of blue blood. He was a professor of mathematics. |
|
Ponerse morado. -¡Qué bueno está todo! La comida de esta fiesta es increíble. |
To stuff one's face with smth... -How good everything is! The food at this party is amazing. |
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