Describing color vocabulary in English, including common color words and shades to help you talk about and describe colors clearly in everyday conversation.
Common Color Names
Common color names are the basic words in English used to describe colors. These are the foundation of color vocabulary and are used in a wide range of situations.
| English Color | Spanish Color | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| red | rojo | The apple is red. | La manzana es roja. |
| blue | azul | The sky is blue. | El cielo es azul. |
| green | verde | The grass is green. | La hierba es verde. |
| yellow | amarillo | The sun is yellow. | El sol es amarillo. |
| black | negro | The cat is black. | El gato es negro. |
| white | blanco | The snow is white. | La nieve es blanca. |
| orange | naranja | The orange is orange. | La naranja es naranja. |
| purple | morado | The flowers are purple. | Las flores son moradas. |
| pink | rosa | She likes pink dresses. | A ella le gustan los vestidos rosas. |
| brown | marrón | The chair is brown. | La silla es marrón. |
Shades and Modifiers
Shades and modifiers are words you add to basic color names to describe colors more precisely. They help you be more specific and detailed.
| English Shade | Spanish Shade | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| light (e.g., light blue) | claro (e.g., azul claro) | I have a light blue shirt. | Tengo una camisa azul claro. |
| dark (e.g., dark green) | oscuro (e.g., verde oscuro) | She has dark green eyes. | Ella tiene ojos verde oscuro. |
| bright (e.g., bright yellow) | brillante (e.g., amarillo brillante) | The bright yellow flowers stand out. | Las flores amarillo brillante destacan. |
| pale (e.g., pale pink) | pálido (e.g., rosa pálido) | She wore a pale pink dress. | Ella llevaba un vestido rosa pálido. |
| deep (e.g., deep red) | intenso (e.g., rojo intenso) | The wine is a deep red color. | El vino es de un color rojo intenso. |
| pastel (e.g., pastel purple) | pastel (e.g., morado pastel) | Pastel purple is very trendy. | El morado pastel está muy de moda. |
| vivid (e.g., vivid orange) | vívido (e.g., naranja vívido) | The painting uses vivid orange. | La pintura usa naranja vívido. |
| muted (e.g., muted brown) | apagado (e.g., marrón apagado) | She prefers muted brown tones. | Ella prefiere tonos marrón apagado. |
| metallic (e.g., metallic silver) | metálico (e.g., plata metálica) | He has a metallic silver watch. | Él tiene un reloj plata metálica. |
| neon (e.g., neon green) | neón (e.g., verde neón) | Neon green is very bright at night. | El verde neón es muy brillante por la noche. |
Color-Related Nouns
Color-related nouns are words that describe things or qualities associated with color. These help you talk about color in context.
| English Noun | Spanish Noun | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| shade | tono/sombra | What shade of blue do you like? | ¿Qué tono de azul te gusta? |
| tint | tinte | The paint has a pink tint. | La pintura tiene un tinte rosa. |
| hue | matiz | The hue of the sunset is amazing. | El matiz del atardecer es increíble. |
| pigment | pigmento | The pigment gives the color its strength. | El pigmento da fuerza al color. |
| tone | tono | The tone of the color is warm. | El tono del color es cálido. |
| dye | tinte | She used a blue dye for her hair. | Usó un tinte azul para su cabello. |
| palette | paleta | The artist chose a bright palette. | El artista eligió una paleta brillante. |
| gradient | degradado | The background has a blue gradient. | El fondo tiene un degradado azul. |
| saturation | saturación | Increase the color saturation for vividness. | Aumenta la saturación del color para más viveza. |
| contrast | contraste | The contrast between colors is strong. | El contraste entre colores es fuerte. |
Useful Adjectives and Verbs
These adjectives and verbs help you describe colors more vividly and talk about how colors appear or change.
| English Word | Spanish Word | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| colorful | colorido | The painting is very colorful. | La pintura es muy colorida. |
| vibrant | vibrante | The vibrant colors catch the eye. | Los colores vibrantes llaman la atención. |
| dull | apagado | The colors look dull in the shade. | Los colores se ven apagados a la sombra. |
| faded | desteñido | Her jeans are faded blue. | Sus jeans son azul desteñido. |
| blend | mezclar | The colors blend smoothly. | Los colores se mezclan suavemente. |
| match | combinar | This dress matches the shoes. | Este vestido combina con los zapatos. |
| stain | manchar | Be careful not to stain your clothes. | Ten cuidado de no manchar tu ropa. |
| brighten | aclarar | You can brighten the room with light colors. | Puedes aclarar la habitación con colores claros. |
| darken | oscurecer | The sky darkened before the storm. | El cielo se oscureció antes de la tormenta. |
| fade | desvanecer | The color will fade in the sun. | El color se desvanecerá al sol. |
The painting is very ___.
colorful
"Colorful" means full of many colors.
Everyday Color Phrases
These are common phrases and expressions using color words. They help you talk about color naturally in conversation.
| English Phrase | Spanish Phrase | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What color is it? | ¿De qué color es? | What color is your jacket? | ¿De qué color es tu chaqueta? |
| It’s ... colored. | Es de color ... | It’s red colored. | Es de color rojo. |
| In shades of ... | En tonos de ... | The room is painted in shades of blue. | La habitación está pintada en tonos de azul. |
| A splash of ... | Un toque de ... | Add a splash of yellow. | Añade un toque de amarillo. |
| Colored with ... | Coloreado con ... | The fabric is colored with natural dyes. | La tela está coloreada con tintes naturales. |
| Out of color | Fuera de color | The leaves are out of color now. | Las hojas están fuera de color ahora. |
| Color-coded | Codificado por colores | The files are color-coded for easy sorting. | Los archivos están codificados por colores para facilitar la clasificación. |
| Pop of color | Toque de color | She added a pop of color with a red scarf. | Añadió un toque de color con una bufanda roja. |
| Shades of ... | Tonos de ... | There are many shades of green. | Hay muchos tonos de verde. |
| Color wheel | Rueda de colores | The color wheel helps artists mix colors. | La rueda de colores ayuda a los artistas a mezclar colores. |
A ___ of yellow.
splash
"A splash of ..." means a small amount of a color.
Summary
These color vocabulary words and phrases will help you describe colors accurately and naturally in English. Practice using them in sentences to build your confidence.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Color: red
- Example Sentence (English): The apple is red.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
