Color expressions in English, including idioms and phrases using color words, to enhance vocabulary and understanding of figurative language.
Color expressions are common idioms and phrases that use color words to convey meanings beyond their literal sense. These expressions add color to language and help describe emotions, situations, and characteristics more vividly. This guide covers some of the most common color expressions in English, their meanings, and example sentences.
. Red Expressions
Red is often associated with strong emotions like anger, passion, and embarrassment. Many English expressions use “red” to describe these feelings or situations involving attention and urgency.
| Red Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| See red | Become very angry | She saw red when she found out about the lie. | Ella se enojó mucho cuando descubrió la mentira. |
| Red tape | Excessive bureaucracy or rules | We can’t start the project because of red tape. | No podemos empezar el proyecto por la burocracia. |
| In the red | Owing money or losing money | Our company is in the red this quarter. | Nuestra empresa está en números rojos este trimestre. |
| Red flag | A warning sign | His constant lateness is a red flag. | Su constante tardanza es una señal de alarma. |
| Catch someone red-handed | Catch someone in the act of doing something wrong | The thief was caught red-handed. | El ladrón fue atrapado con las manos en la masa. |
. Blue Expressions
Blue is often linked to sadness or calmness. English uses “blue” to describe feelings of melancholy or peacefulness, as well as some unique idiomatic meanings.
| Blue Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeling blue | Feeling sad or depressed | I’ve been feeling blue all week. | Me he sentido triste toda la semana. |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | She visits us once in a blue moon. | Nos visita muy de vez en cuando. |
| Blue blood | Someone from a noble or royal family | He’s a blue blood with a long family history. | Es de sangre noble con una larga historia familiar. |
| Out of the blue | Suddenly and unexpectedly | The news came out of the blue. | La noticia llegó de repente. |
| Talk a blue streak | Talk very quickly and continuously | She can talk a blue streak when excited. | Ella puede hablar sin parar cuando está emocionada. |
Me he sentido ____ toda la semana.
What does 'feeling blue' mean?
feeling sad or depressed
'Feeling blue' means feeling sad or downhearted.
. Green Expressions
Green is associated with nature, growth, and sometimes envy or inexperience. English color expressions with “green” reflect these ideas.
| Green Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green with envy | Very jealous | She was green with envy over his new car. | Ella estaba verde de envidia por su carro nuevo. |
| Go green | Adopt environmentally friendly habits | Our office is trying to go green. | Nuestra oficina está tratando de ser ecológica. |
| Green thumb | Natural talent for gardening | He has a green thumb and grows beautiful flowers. | Él tiene mano para las plantas y cultiva flores hermosas. |
| The grass is always greener | People think others have it better | She left her job because the grass is always greener elsewhere. | Ella dejó su trabajo porque siempre creen que en otro lugar es mejor. |
| Green around the gills | Looking sick or pale | He looked green around the gills after the boat ride. | Se veía pálido después del paseo en barco. |
. White Expressions
White often symbolizes purity, innocence, and surrender. English idioms use “white” to convey these ideas or describe certain behaviors.
| White Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| White lie | A harmless or small lie | I told a white lie to avoid hurting her feelings. | Dije una mentira piadosa para no herir sus sentimientos. |
| Raise the white flag | Surrender or give up | After hours of arguing, she raised the white flag. | Después de horas de discusión, ella se rindió. |
| White elephant | Something costly and useless | The new stadium became a white elephant. | El nuevo estadio se convirtió en un elefante blanco. |
| In black and white | Written down clearly | The agreement is in black and white. | El acuerdo está por escrito claramente. |
| White as a sheet | Very pale, usually from shock or illness | She was white as a sheet after the bad news. | Ella estaba pálida como un papel después de la mala noticia. |
Después de horas de discusión, ella ____.
What does it mean to 'raise the white flag'?
surrender or give up
To 'raise the white flag' means to surrender or give up, especially after a struggle.
. Black Expressions
Black is often linked to darkness, mystery, or negativity. English expressions with “black” can describe serious, ominous, or secretive situations.
| Black Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black sheep | A person who is different or outcast in a family | He’s the black sheep of the family. | Él es la oveja negra de la familia. |
| In the black | Making a profit or financially positive | The business is finally in the black. | El negocio finalmente está en números negros. |
| Black out | Lose consciousness or make something invisible | She blacked out from the heat. | Ella se desmayó por el calor. |
| Black market | Illegal trading or buying | They bought the tickets on the black market. | Compraron los boletos en el mercado negro. |
| Not a black cloud in the sky | No problems or worries at all | We had a great day—no black clouds in the sky. | Tuvimos un gran día, sin ni una nube negra en el cielo. |
. Yellow Expressions
Yellow can represent brightness and cheerfulness but also cowardice or caution. English expressions with “yellow” reflect these contrasting meanings.
| Yellow Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow belly | A coward | Don’t be such a yellow belly—face your fears! | No seas tan cobarde, ¡enfrenta tus miedos! |
| Yellow card | A warning, especially in sports | He got a yellow card for the foul. | Recibió una tarjeta amarilla por la falta. |
| Yellow journalism | Sensationalized or biased news | The article was an example of yellow journalism. | El artículo fue un ejemplo de periodismo amarillista. |
| Yellow brick road | A path to success or happiness (from “The Wizard of Oz”) | Follow your dreams down the yellow brick road. | Sigue tus sueños por el camino de ladrillos amarillos. |
| Mellow yellow | Calm, relaxed, or easygoing | After the vacation, I feel mellow yellow. | Después de las vacaciones, me siento muy relajado. |
. Other Color Expressions
English also has idioms using other colors like pink, purple, and orange. These expressions add more variety and nuance to color-related language.
| Color Expression | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the pink (of health) | In very good health | She’s in the pink after her vacation. | Ella está en plena forma después de las vacaciones. |
| Once in a purple moon | Very rarely (variant of blue moon) | He visits once in a purple moon. | Él visita muy pocas veces. |
| Orange you glad...? | Playful phrase (pun) | Orange you glad we came early? | ¿No te alegra que hayamos llegado temprano? |
| Tickled pink | Very pleased or delighted | I was tickled pink by the surprise party. | Me sentí encantada con la fiesta sorpresa. |
| Purple prose | Overly elaborate or flowery writing | The essay was full of purple prose. | El ensayo estaba lleno de lenguaje exagerado. |
El ensayo estaba lleno de ____.
What is 'purple prose'?
overly elaborate or flowery writing
'Purple prose' refers to writing that is excessively ornate, elaborate, or flowery, often to the point of being overdone.
Summary
Color expressions are a fun and creative way to understand how colors influence English idioms. From emotions to behaviors to social situations, these expressions reveal the cultural meanings behind colors and enrich everyday conversation.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
