Basic guide to colors in Spanish- Lingoda

Colors in Spanish or any other language are an essential part of our daily life. So learning the colors in Spanish is an important step of learning basic vocabulary. You will use them in everyday conversations and to describe objects, places or animals. 

You can also use colors to identify unknown objects. Don’t know how to say frambuesa (raspberry) in Spanish? Ask for that red fruit at the market and you will get your shopping done.

Here is a list of the most common colors and their translations in Spanish:

• Red → Rojo
• Blue → Azul
• Green → Verde
• Yellow → Amarillo
• White → Blanco
• Black → Negro
• Pink → Rosa/Rosado
• Purple → Morado
• Brown → Café/ Marrón
• Orange → Naranja/Anaranjado

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How do you say color in Spanish?

Those are the basic colors in Spanish. How do you say the word “color” itself? Well, this is an easy one. You already know the word because it is a cognate. Color is just color. The only difference is the pronunciation: /co-LOR/

To make it plural, you add -es to get the word /coh-LOR-es/ colores. Don’t forget that color is a masculine noun, so it is el color and los colores. 

Country differences

Remember, some Spanish words change from country to country. If you travel, review the names of colors where you are going. For example marrón is used mostly in Spain vs. Latin America where people say café. Don’t worry. If you use the wrong word, most Spanish speakers will understand you regardless.

List of colors in Spanish

Is it necessary to learn all those colors? Yes. We always suggest the most colorful learning experience. Here are more colors you can add to your Spanish vocabulary.

Word order for Spanish colors

In Spanish, adjectives are used after the nouns they modify. This is the opposite of English. To describe an object, an animal, a place, etc. put the color second.

The green chair → La silla verde

The white dog → El perro blanco

The pink blouse → La blusa rosa

You can also add the phrase de color (of color), which doesn’t add to the meaning. It’s just another way of using colors in Spanish.

A blue-colored pencil → Un lápiz de color azul

The gray-colored car → El carro de color gris

Gender and numbers for Spanish colors

All nouns in Spanish have a number (singular or plural) and a gender (masculine or feminine). Most color adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in both gender and number. Any color word that ends in -o is meant to undergo gender change.

A red dress → Un vestido rojo

A red flower → Una flor roja

The rest of the color adjectives don’t change with gender.

The blue wall → La pared azul

The blue sea → El mar azul

In plural form, you have to add -s or -es to the end of the color word. The rule about agreeing with gender still applies!

Black hats → Sombreros negros

Black pens → Plumas negras

Green eyes → Ojos verdes

Keep in mind! You shouldn’t capitalize color words in Spanish. You only do it if they are the first word of a sentence or part of a title.

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What is your favorite color in Spanish?

Talking about your favorite color is a great conversation starter in any language. Spanish is no exception! The following phrases will come in handy:

What is your favorite color? → ¿Cuál es tu color favorito?

My favorite color is lilac. → Mi color favorito/preferido es el lila.

I love the color orange. → Me encanta el color naranja.

I prefer the color silver to the color gray. → Prefiero el color plateado que el gris.

The color I like the most is fuchsia. → El color que más me gusta es el fucsia.

The color I like the least is beige. → El color que menos me gusta es el beige.

I don’t like blue. → No me gusta el azul.

Learning colors in Spanish is useful and fun

Colors in Spanish are a great tool to build your vocabulary. You need them to understand everyday conversations and to become a more precise Spanish speaker. Practicing is key to mastering any new concept, so go out, practice and fill your Spanish with color!

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Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.

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