The colours in Spanish Share Copied!
Spanish
Learn basic color terms in Spanish, how they agree with gender and number, and how to describe eye, skin, and hair colors using "tener."
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Podcast
The basic colours in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Rojo | Red |
| Naranja | Orange |
| Amarillo | Yellow |
| Verde | Green |
| Azul | Blue |
| Morado | Purple |
| Rosa | Pink |
| Marrón | Brown |
| Negro | Black |
| Blanco | White |
| Gris | Gray |
In Spanish, colors need to agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. For example:
El coche rojo. (The red car.)
La casa roja. (The red house.)
Dialogue on the basic colours
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿De qué color es tu camisa? | What color is your shirt? |
| Camisa | Shirt |
| Mi camisa es azul. ¿Y la tuya? | My shirt is blue. And yours? |
| La mía es roja. | Mine is red. |
| La mía | Mine |
| ¿Y tus zapatos? | And your shoes? |
| Zapatos | Shoes |
| Mis zapatos son negros. | My shoes are black. |
| Los míos son verdes. | Mine are green. |
The eye colours in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Marrones | Brown |
| Azules | Blue |
| Verdes | Green |
| Avellana | Hazel |
| ?Avellana? literally means ?hazelnut?. It refers to that specific colour. | |
| Grises | Gray |
| Since ?ojos? is masculine and plural, we say ?grises?. For example: Los ojos grises. |
|
Use "tener" or "ser" based on the context of your sentence. For example:
Mis ojos son azules.
Ella tiene los ojos verdes.
Dialogue on the eye colours in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuál es tu color de ojos? | What color are your eyes? |
| Cuál | What |
| Color | Colour |
| Ojos | Eyes |
| Tengo los ojos azules. | My eyes are blue. |
| Tengo | Have |
| ¿Tú tienes los ojos marrones? | You have brown eyes? |
| Tienes | Have |
| No, mis ojos son color avellana. | No, my eyes are hazel. |
| Mis | My |
| Son | Are |
| Es una mezcla de marrón y verde. | It?s a mix of brown and green. |
| Una | A |
| Mezcla | Mix |
Skin colours in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Blanco | White |
| Negro | Black |
| Moreno | Brown/Tanned |
| ?Moreno? can mean both tanned or brown skin. | |
| Pálido | Pale |
| Oliva | Olive |
Adjectives must match the gender and number with the noun. For example:
Ella es negra => She is black.
Ellos son blancos. => They are white.
Hair Colours in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Rubio | Blonde |
| Castaño | Brown/Brunette |
| Pelirrojo | Redhead |
| Negro | Black |
| Gris | Gray |
| Blanco | White |
| Oscuro | Dark |
| Claro | Light |
| Canoso | Gray-haired |
| Teñido | Dyed |
To describe hair colours, we use "tener". For example:
Ella tiene el pelo negro. She has black hair.
Key takeaways
Here is a quick summary of this lesson.
- Colors in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe, e.g., "el coche rojo" (the red car) and "la casa roja" (the red house).
- Use specific color terms to describe features like eyes ("ojos azules" - blue eyes), skin ("piel morena" - tanned skin), and hair ("pelo rubio" - blonde hair).
- To describe hair and eye colors, use the verb "tener", as in "Ella tiene los ojos verdes" (She has green eyes).
Exercises
