A Vibrant Guide to Colors in Spanish with Phrases and Practice

Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams. 

— Paul Gauguin

The world of color is, as Paul Gauguin says, a deep and mysterious language. It’s a realm of light and wavelengths that reveal themselves in the eye of the beholder. Colors are an essential part of our lives, from the decoration of our homes and paintings that adorn our walls to the clothes and objects we use to define our personalities. Above all, colors serve as a form of expression and communication. As you build your Spanish fluency, understanding colors in Spanish is part and parcel of expressing yourself well.

In this ultimate guide to colors in Spanish, we will explore:

• Colors 
• Pronunciation
• Color grammar rules
• Shades of color
• Color expressions in Spanish
• Color-related questions
• Practice quiz and answers

¡Aprendemos todo sobre los colores!

Colors in Spanish

Thanks to scientists like Newton and Goethe, humans have organized colors into a cohesive, interconnected structure called the color wheel, or círculo cromático. While color theory is beyond the scope of this article, it provides us with a handy tool for studying colors in Spanish, especially if you are a visual learner. Check out this color wheel:

In this particular círculo cromático, it shows us 11 different colors (and shades) and how they relate to each other. Search Google Images using the Spanish word for “color wheel” and see which one suits you best for studying! 

In the following chart, we’ll see the names of 30 colors in Spanish listed in alphabetical order and how to pronounce them. Read on!

Spanish Grammar for Colors

Let’s look at the grammar rules related to colors. Here you’ll learn about word order, gender agreement for color adjectives, and color-derived nouns.

Word Order

A color is an adjective when it describes a noun (person, place, or thing). As such, it follows the same rules that apply to other adjectives in Spanish: they come after the noun.

• La casa rosada (the pink house)
• La pintura verde (the green paint)

Adjectives and Agreement

Additional to proper word order, color adjectives must agree in gender and number to the noun they modify. More specifically, color adjectives in Spanish that end in -o are the ones that undergo gender changes. For example, the color morado (purple) remains the same for el árbol morado (purple tree) but changes to its feminine form for la canasta morada (purple basket). Let’s see some more examples:

• amarillo (yellow) — el patio amarillo, la puerta amarilla
• blanco (white) — el peluche blanco, las bolsas blancas
• cerúleo (sky blue) — los calcetines cerúleos, la gaveta cerúlea

Exception Alert!

Do the colors always agree with the noun? Not when they are in compound form! When a particular color includes additional adjectives, as in navy blue or azul marino, it does not change to agree with the noun. Check it out:

• azul marino (navy blue) — el gorro azul marino, la capucha azul marino
• amarillo vivo (bright yellow) — el girasol amarillo vivo, la camiseta amarillo vivo
• rojo oscuro (dark red) — los zapatos rojo oscuro, la chancleta rojo oscuro

Colors as Nouns

Similar to English, colors can also act as nouns when they represent a person or object. In fact, the list of colors you learned at the beginning of this guide are in their noun form! All color nouns are invariable, meaning that they are masculine, no matter if they end in -a.

• Me gusta el color azul. — I like the color blue.
• El púrpura es mi color favorito. — Purple is my favorite color.

The following list of nouns are “color-derived,” meaning that their name as an object originates from their color. These types of nouns frequently exist among fruits, flowers, plants, or minerals. Examples include:

• naranja, fruit: orange, color: orange
• cereza, fruit: cherry, color: cherry-colored
• marrón, fruit: chestnut, color: dark brown
• lavanda, flower: lavender, color: light purple
• violeta, flower: violet, color: purple / violet
• café, fruit: coffee, color: brown
• rosa, flower: rose, color: pink
• vino, fruit: grapes / wine, color: reddish purple / wine-colored
• chocolate, fruit: chocolate, color: chocolate-colored
• esmeralda, mineral: emerald, color: emerald green
• grana, plant part: seed, color: deep red
• lila, plant: lilac, color: lilac
• malva, plant: mallow, color: mauve
• mostaza, plant: mustard, color: mustard yellow
• oro, mineral: gold, color: gold
• paja, plant: hay / straw, color: straw-colored
• turquesa, stone: turquoise, color: turquoise
• humo, color: smoky

How to Describe Objects’ Colors with Nouns

When these nouns are used to denote color, you use de color de, color de, and de color as seen in the following examples:

• La cortina es de color de vino. — The curtain is wine-colored.
• Las flores son color de rosa. — The flowers are rose-colored.
• El vestido es de color grana. — The dress is a deep red color.

Shades of Color

Different shades, called los tonos, become compound adjectives (as described above) that describe the hues of color. Examples in English are light, dark, and hot. 

• claro – light — azul claro – light blue
• oscuro – dark — gris oscuro – dark gray
• medio – medium — rojo medio – medium red
• pálido – pale — amarillo pálido – pale yellow
• eléctrico – electric / hot — rosado eléctrico – hot pink
• vivo – bright — cerúleo vivo – bright sky blue
• metálico – metallic — morado metálico – metallic purple
• pastel – pastel — verde pastel – pastel green

Spanish Expressions With Color

Colors have the power to produce strong feelings in people and so, naturally, they appear in our language as a form of communication. Many of these associations are regional and related to cultural norms, and you’ll see that Spanish and English have quite a few in common. For example, “to be green with envy” in English is the same in Spanish: estar verde de envidia. Let’s look at some more colorful expressions in Spanish!

BLACK – negro

Dinero negro – dirty/corrupt money

La mafia utiliza dinero negro para hacer sus negocios.

The mafia uses dirty money to do its business.

Verlo negro – to see something in a negative way or as a no-go

Amigo 1: ¿Vamos a la playa esta semana?

Amigo 2: Con la situación como es, lo veo negro.

Friend 1: Are we going to the beach this week?

Friend 2: With the situation as it is, it’s a no-go.

BLUE – azul

El príncipe azul – prince charming

Había una vez, la princesa se encontró a su príncipe azul.

Once upon a time, the princess found her prince charming.

Ser de sangre azul – to be from a royal or noble family

La reina de inglaterra es de sangre azul.

The queen of England is from a royal family.

BROWN – marrón

Comerse un marrón (only in Spain) – to do an unpleasant task, to take the blame for someone else

Me como el marrón de tener que despedirle.

I have the unpleasant task of having to fire him.

Pasar un marrón (only in Spain) – to pass a problem onto someone else

Lo siento, ¡te voy a pasar un marrón!

Sorry, I’m going to pass the problem to you!

Caerle un marrón (only in Spain) – to get stuck with having to do an unpleasant task

Me cae el marrón de terminar toda la tarea de la semana en un solo día.

I’m stuck with having to finish all of this week’s homework in just one day.

GREEN – verde

Un viejo verde – a dirty old man

Los viejos verdes solo quieren salir con mujeres jóvenes.

Dirty old men only want to date young women. 

Estar verde – to be unripe as a fruit or inexperienced in something as a person

La papaya está verde.

The papaya is unripe.

Cuando salí de la universidad, todavía estaba muy verde para muchos trabajos.

When I left college, I was still very inexperienced for many jobs.

Poner verde a alguien – to make someone jealous

Mi prima le pone verde a mi hermana.

My cousin makes my sister jealous.

Ponerse verde de envidia – to turn green with envy

Me pongo verde de envidia cuando veo el éxito de mis colegas.

I turn green with envy when I see the success of my colleagues.

Estar verde de envidia – to be green with envy

El está verde de envidia porque su vecino ganó la lotería.

He’s green with envy that his neighbor won the lottery.

ORANGE – naranja

Media naranja – better half, significant other

Te presento a mi media naranja.

I introduce you to my significant other.

PINK – rosa

Ver todo color de rosa – to see everything through rose-colored glasses

Ella no cree en la corrupción porque ve todo color de rosa. 

She doesn’t believe in corruption because she sees everything through rose-colored glasses.

La prensa rosa – gossip press, tabloids

Nos gusta leer la prensa rosa para divertirnos.

We like to read the tabloids for fun.

PURPLE – morado

Ponerse morado – to overeat, to stuff yourself with food

En el día de acción de gracias, me puse morado.

On Thanksgiving Day, I stuffed myself with food.

Ponerle un ojo morado a alguien – to give someone a black eye

Le puse un ojo morado al ladrón.

I gave the thief a black eye.

RED – rojo

Ponerse rojo – to get angry

¡Que rojo se puso el jefe ayer cuando nos regaño! 

(Did you see) how red our boss got yesterday when he scolded us!

Ponerse rojo como un tomate – to blush, to turn red with embarrassment

Mi amigo se pone rojo como un tomate cuando lo halagan.

My friend turns red when someone compliments him.

WHITE – blanco

Quedarse en blanco – one’s mind goes blank

Amigo 1: ¿Cual es tu número de teléfono?

Amigo 2: No me recuerdo, ¡me quedo en blanco!

Friend 1: What is your phone number?

Friend 2: I don’t remember, my mind’s gone blank!

Ponerse blanco del susto – to get scared

Me pongo blanco del susto de ver a la fantasma en mi cuarto.

I get scared to see the ghost in my room.

Pasar la noche en blanco – to not sleep a wink at night

Debido a la fiesta de mis vecinos anoche, me pasé la noche en blanco.

Because of my neighbors’ party last night, I didn’t sleep a wink.

Estar en blanco – to have no money

No puedo salir con ustedes, estoy en blanco.

I can’t go out with you all, I don’t have any money.

Questions About Color

Questioning is the art of learning and an essential part of meaningful conversations. Prepare yourself for your next discussion that deals with colors with this short list of questions!

¿De qué color es? — What color is it?

¿Qué color escogiste para pintar la pared? — Which color did you choose to paint the wall?

¿En cuál color lo quieres? — What color do you want it in?

¿Cuál color prefieres? — Which color do you prefer?

¿Cuál es tu color favorito? — What’s your favorite color?

¿Cuál es tu color menos preferido? — What’s your least favorite color?

¿Cuántos colores sabes en español? — How many colors do you know in Spanish?

Practice Questions and Answer Key

After taking the time to study this in-depth color guide, you’re probably wondering how much of it you’ll remember! Why don’t you quiz yourself to find out? (The answers are at the bottom of this article.)

What’s the Color in Spanish?

1. green _______________
2. gray _______________
3. jade _______________
4. dark brown _______________
5. orange _______________
6. black _______________
7. silver _______________
8. purple _______________
9. red _______________
10. pink _______________

Fill in the Blank: Adjectives and Agreement

1. el avión (red) _______________
2. las faldas (green) _______________
3. la cascara (orange) _______________
4. el pelo (gold) _______________
5. la pintura (violet) _______________
6. el cuadro (black) _______________
7. el puente (sky blue) _______________
8. las flores (bright yellow) _______________
9. la gorra (navy blue) _______________
10. el carro (dark gray) _______________

Translate from Spanish to English

1. Mi vestido es color de lavanda. ________________________________
2. Tengo una sombra de ojos color verde limón. ________________________________
3. Las flores son magentas. ________________________________
4. Voy a pintar la pared de color de café. ________________________________
5. Los huevos de pascua se pintan de colores pasteles. ________________________________
6. Mi cuaderno es de color rosado eléctrico. ________________________________
7. El cabello de la niña es dorado. ________________________________
8. Mi tía tiene las uñas color de cereza. ________________________________
9. El jardín está lleno de colores vivos. ________________________________
10. Los dientes de mi dentista son muy blancos. ________________________________

Translate from English to Spanish

1. I eat purple cabbage. ________________________________
2. She wears a red jacket. ________________________________
3. My house is brown. ________________________________
4. My favorite color is navy blue. ________________________________
5. Your shirt is turquoise. ________________________________
6. Our shoes are black. ________________________________
7. Her bag is white. ________________________________
8. I sit on a bright yellow chair. ________________________________
9. She likes the color orange. ________________________________
10. I know all the colors in Spanish. ________________________________

Answer Key

What Color Is It?

1. verde
2. gris
3. jade
4. marrón
5. naranja / anaranjado
6. negro
7. plateado
8. morado / púrpura
9. rojo
10. rosado

Adjective Agreement

1. el avión rojo
2. las faldas verdes
3. la cáscara anaranjada / naranja
4. el pelo dorado
5. la pintura violeta
6. el cuadro negro
7. el puente ciruleo
8. las flores amarillo vivo
9. la gorra azul marino
10. el carro gris oscuro

Spanish to English Sentences

1. My dress is lavender-colored.
2. I have a lime-green eye-shadow.
3. The flowers are magenta.
4. I’m going to paint the wall dark brown.
5. Easter eggs are painted in pastel colors.
6. My notebook is hot pink.
7. The girl’s hair is golden.
8. My aunt has cherry-colored fingernails.
9. The garden is full of bright colors.
10. My dentist’s teeth are very white.

English to Spanish Sentences

*Remember that de color de, color de, and color are interchangeable.

1. Yo como repollo morado / púrpura.
2. Ella lleva puesta una chaqueta roja.
3. Mi casa es color café.
4. Mi color favorito es el azul marino.
5. Tu blusa es turquesa.
6. Nuestros zapatos son negros.
7. Su bolsa es de color blanca.
8. Me siento en una silla amarillo vivo.
9. Le gusta el color naranja.
10. Yo sé todos los colores en español.

Practice Your Colors En Vivo

Are you ready for a real-time conversation about colors with a native Spanish speaker? Sign up for a free class today with one of our talented teachers and brighten your world with a colorful conversation in Spanish. We look forward to serving you!

Would you like more in-depth Spanish lessons like this one? Check these out!

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Lindsay Brown

Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic, I speak French and Spanish, with BA degrees in Linguistics, French, and Psychology, plus a TEFL certificate and 10+ years of teaching experience to boot. I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me writing spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my two bilingual kids.

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