The Ultimate Guide to All Colors in Spanish

The world of colors in Spanish is full of mysteries and wonders to discover. 

Colors in Spanish and in English are a daily part of life. They bring joy and make our surroundings vivid and visually appealing. 

Los colores (colors) are possible to admire in decoration, art, clothes, objects, pictures, and living organisms. Above all, colors serve as a form of expression and communication. 

As you move forward in building up your language skills, understanding colors in Spanish and the Spanish color wheel can be helpful to express yourself in Spanish with confidence and sound like a native speaker. 

Join me in this insightful blog post where I teach you how to say colors in Spanish and what the Spanish color wheel is. We will also be covering related vocabulary words, organized in a Spanish color chart. 

Spanish Is a Colorful Language

How do you say the word “colors” in Spanish? 

Los colores. 

Anything that has color in it or is colored is called coloreado, colorido or color. 

According to Johann Von Goethe’s teoría del color (theory of colors), colors are sensations produced by light rays that impress visually and depend on the wavelength of such rays.

Scholars like Goethe who have studied colors define them as perception. Objects have the ability to absorb segments of the light spectrum. The other segments that do not absorb light transmit different stimuli that produce a sensation of color in the eye of the beholder. 

Colors are an essential part of any language. They provide accurate and detailed descriptions of objects, places, animals, body parts, and more.

The Spanish Color Wheel Chart

El círculo cromático (Spanish color wheel) shows the colors organized into a cohesive, interconnected structure that is ideal for studying colors in Spanish. The Spanish color wheel shows how 11 different colors and shades relate to each other. 

El circulo cromático serves as a Spanish color chart whose base comprises six basic colors. 

• Morado (purple)
• Rojo (red)
• Amarillo (yellow)
• Verde (green)
• Azul cian (cyan blue)
• Azul oscuro (dark blue)

The Spanish color wheel is divided into colores cálidos y colores fríos (warm colors and cold colors). This type of Spanish color chart also serves as a guide for visual arts experts and graphic designers. It reflects the harmony and contrast between different shades of colors. 

A Spanish color chart is of great use in marketing, for visual merchandising experts, decorators, event coordinators, fashion designers, and more. 

Classifying the Colors in Spanish 

There are thousands of different names for colors in Spanish. However, this blog post is focused on the most frequently used and known. 

Let’s dive deep into the different classifications from the Spanish color wheel and other types of colors in Spanish. 

Warm Colors in Spanish (Colores cálidos)

This first group of colors in the Spanish color wheel is associated with feelings of warmth and fire. They communicate energy and movement. Some examples of these are rosado (pink) and amarillo (yellow). 

Cold Colors in Spanish (Colores fríos)

Los colores fríos from the Spanish color wheel are associated with feelings of calm and natural surroundings. El verde (green) and tonos de azules (shades of blue) are the main ones in this group. 

Primary Colors in Spanish (Colores primarios)

All colors appear from the primary colors as base. The translation in Spanish is los colores primarios. The three primary colors are azul (blue), amarillo (yellow), and rojo (red). 

Secondary Colors in Spanish (Colores secundarios)

Los colores secundarios are those color shades that come from combining two equal parts of two of the primary colors. The three secondary colors in Spanish and their respective combinations are:

• azul (blue) + rojo (red) = morado (purple)
• amarillo (yellow) + rojo = naranja or anaranjado (orange)
• amarillo + azul = verde (green)

Rainbow Colors in Spanish (Colores del arcoiris)

El arcoiris (rainbow) is a beautiful phenomenon like no other. It takes place when sunlight goes through the water in the Earth’s atmosphere and gives rise to the appearance of a spectrum of light frequencies where different colors are formed. 

These are the rainbow colors in Spanish.

• Rojo (red)
• Naranja (orange)
• Amarillo (yellow)
• Verde (green)
• Azul (blue)
• Índigo (indigo)
• Violeta (violet)

Are you reviewing the colors with a young Spanish student? Take a listen to this colors in Spanish song to reinforce the topic with some rhythm and music. 

Spanish Color Chart: Vocabulary

Naming all colors in Spanish would make this list neverending. However, I narrowed down the list of colors in Spanish you should know to 30 essential colors. Here’s a Spanish color chart organized in alphabetical order. 

Spanish Color Chart Part 1

Spanish Color Chart Part 2

Grammar for Colors in Spanish

Using the names of colors in Spanish intuitively requires you to know grammar rules related to word order, gender agreement, and color-derived nouns. 

Word Order

Colors are used as adjectives when they 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)

Gender Agreement

Color adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Any color adjective in Spanish that ends with -o is meant to undergo gender change. 

Let’s look at some examples.

• morado (purple) – la blusa morada (the purple blouse), el carro morado (the purple car)
• amarillo (yellow) – el juguete amarillo (the yellow toy), la cartera amarilla (the yellow purse)
• blanco (white) – el peluche blanco (the white stuffed animal), el gato blanco (the white cat)

Notice how in the previous examples the color adjective ending with -o changes to an -a in the feminine form. 

The only exceptions to this set of rules are colors in Spanish in compound form. 

When a color in particular includes another adjective, there’s no need to change it to agree with the noun. 

Here are some examples.

• azul marino (navy blue) – el barco azul marino (the navy blue boat), la casa azul marino (the navy blue house)
• verde limón (lime green) – el vestido verde limón (the lime green dress), la falda verde limón (the lime green skirt)

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. 

Some examples include the following. 

• Me gusta el color rosa. (I like the color pink.)
• El violeta es mi color favorito. (Violet is my favorite color.)

The majority of color-derived nouns get their name as a subject from their color. These types of nouns exist among plants, flowers, fruits, or minerals. 

Let’s examine some examples.

• naranja (orange): both a fruit and a color.
• cereza (cherry): both a fruit and a color.
• rosa (pink, rose): both a flower and a color.
• turquesa (turquoise): both a precious gemstone and a color. 

Learn more about colorful objects with this Long List of Vegetables and Fruits in Spanish. 

Using the Verb To Be (Ser y estar)

Colors in Spanish are used in sentences with the verbs ser and estar (to be). When you use ser, you are describing a subject that is always the same color. When you use estar you are describing a subject that is temporarily in that color. 

Here are some examples. 

• La bicicleta es verde. (The bicycle is green.)
• El niño se ve morado de lo mareado que está. (The boy looks purple because of how dizzy he is.)

Talking About Your Favorite Colors in Spanish

Everybody has a favorite from the Spanish color chart. Talking about your chosen color is a great conversation starter!

Naturally describing your favorite from the Spanish wheel of color is proof of elevated fluency and conversation. Since colors come in a wide variety of shades and tones, you can use different words to describe them more in detail. 

Here’s a list of adjectives and phrases you can use to describe your favorite color in Spanish. 

Adjectives To Describe Colors in Spanish

Favorite Color in Spanish Phrases

¿Cuál es tu color favorite?
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. 

Using Colors in Spanish to Describe Objects and Places

When you describe an object or place based on the color you say es de color, de color, or de color de. All these are interchangeable. 

Here are some example sentences. 

La moto es de color rojo.
The motorcycle is red.

Mi cuarto es de color rosa.
My room is pink. 

La cortina es de color de cereza.
The curtain is cherry-colored. 

Using Colors in Spanish to Describe People

Describing a person or any other living being’s features often relies on colors as adjectives. 

Here’s a list of example sentences you can use to physically describe a person and the colors of their features. 

Andrea tiene la piel morena.
Andrea has brown skin. 

Los ojos de Krista son avellana y su cabello es castaño. 
Krista’s eyes are hazel and she is a brunette. 

Sebastián tiene el cabello rubio.
Sebastian has blond hair. 

Ana es de piel blanca, pelirroja y tiene ojos verdes.
Ana has white skin, red hair, and green eyes. 

In the previous examples, you’ll notice colors in English and Spanish don’t always use the same translation, especially when it comes to specific face and body traits. Spanish uses different words for hair, skin, and eye colors. 

Skin Colors in Spanish (Colores de piel)

Skin tones come in a diverse variety. Skin colors often use other names in Spanish to the color in English. 

Here’s a list of commonly used names for skin colors in Spanish.

• la piel negra (black skin)
• la piel blanca (white skin)
• la piel morena (brown skin)
• la piel morena clara (light brown skin)

Learn more about skin in Spanish. 

Eye Colors in Spanish (Colores de ojos)

Los ojos (eyes) are unique like fingerprints. Each person’s eye color is specific and has a particular appearance. 

Here’s a list of the most common eye colors in Spanish.

• Café (brown)
• Avellana (hazel)
• Azules (blue)
• Verdes (green)
• Grises (gray)
• Ámbar (amber)

Hair Colors in Spanish (Colores de cabello)

El color de cabello (hair color) is essential to describe yourself and others. 

The color wheel in Spanish for hair colors covers the following tones in this list.

• Rubio (blond)
• Castaño (brunette)
• Pelirrojo (ginger)
• Negro (black)
• Gris (grey)
• Blanco (white)

Enhance your hair in Spanish vocabulary with this list of 200+ Spanish Hair Salon Words and Phrases. 

Colors in Spanish Practice Activity

Use this collection of sentences and questions as a quiz or worksheet to review everything I’ve taught you in this important lesson. 

Choose the correct translation in Spanish

1. yellow (amarillo / rojo)
2. purple (púrpura / azul)
3. silver (plateado / dorado)
4. black (negro / gris)
5. orange (naranja / verde)
6. lime green (turquesa / verde limón)
7. magenta (lavanda / magenta)
8. grey (blanco / gris)
9. teal (verde azulado / celeste)
10. pink (rosado / café)

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence

1. Me gusta el color (morado / azul).
2. ¿Prefieres la bolsa (verde / color) o la bolsa (rubio / café)?
3. El carro (gris / color) me encanta. 
4. Los colores primarios son el rojo, amarillo y (lila / azul).
5. El (índigo / negro) es uno de los siete colores del arcoiris.
6. El rojo es un color (cálido / frío).
7. El bus es (amarillo / amarilla).
8. El cabello de Lucía es (pelirrojo / color).
9. Christian tiene los ojos (azules / negro).
10. Mi color favorito es el color (rosa / castaño).

Click here to see the answer key!

Start a Conversation About Your Favorite Colors

You’re on the right track to elevating your language skills towards becoming fully bilingual. Feel free to come back to this guide to all colors in Spanish as often as you need to continue improving.

Spanish is spoken by approximately 41 million people around the world, Spanish speakers have the capacity to talk to a diverse group of people and travel smoother to Latin America. 

Don’t miss your chance of expanding your communication possibilities and sign up for a free class with one of our certified teachers from Guatemala. 

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Answer Key

Choose the correct translation in Spanish

1. amarillo

2. púrpura

3. plateado

4. negro

5. naranja

6. verde limón

7. magenta

8. gris

9. verde azulado

10. rosado

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence

1. azul

2. verde, café

3. gris

4. azul

5. índigo

6. cálido

7. amarillo

8. pelirrojo

9. azules

10. rosa

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Sofía Godoy

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Native speaker of English and Spanish, I’m a sustainable travel and social impact entrepreneur who loves going to new places and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds. I love spending time with my family and being outdoors with my dogs. Writing, communicating, and creating are my passions. I strongly believe there are more creative ways to solve the issues our world is facing and I like doing my part in any way I can.

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