This page covers the most basic colors in German, along with their English equivalents and example sentences to show how they are used in context.
Use these colors to describe objects, ask questions, and express preferences.
Common Colors in German
Here are the most commonly used colors in German. They are listed with example sentences in both German and English.
| German Color | English Color | German Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| rot | red | Die Tomate ist rot. | The tomato is red. |
| blau | blue | Der Himmel ist blau. | The sky is blue. |
| grün | green | Das Gras ist grün. | The grass is green. |
| gelb | yellow | Die Banane ist gelb. | The banana is yellow. |
| schwarz | black | Der Hund ist schwarz. | The dog is black. |
| weiß | white | Die Wand ist weiß. | The wall is white. |
| braun | brown | Der Stuhl ist braun. | The chair is brown. |
| grau | gray | Das Auto ist grau. | The car is gray. |
| rosa | pink | Das Kleid ist rosa. | The dress is pink. |
| lila | purple | Die Blume ist lila. | The flower is purple. |
Using Colors in Sentences
Colors in German usually come after the definite or indefinite article in noun phrases. Here are some examples showing how colors are used in sentences.
| German Structure | English Structure | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Artikel] + [Substantiv] + ist + [Farbe] | [Article] + [Noun] + is + [color] | Der Apfel ist rot. | The apple is red. |
| [Artikel] + [Substantiv] + sind + [Farbe] (Plural) | [Article] + [Noun] + are + [color] (Plural) | Die Äpfel sind rot. | The apples are red. |
| [Substantiv] + in + [Farbe] | [Noun] + in + [color] | Schuhe in schwarz sind beliebt. | Shoes in black are popular. |
Plural Forms and Gender Agreement
Most basic color adjectives in German are declined to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe.
| Color (Base Form) | Masculine Singular (-er) | Feminine Singular (-e) | Neuter Singular (-es) | Plural (-en) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rot | roter Apfel | rote Blume | rotes Auto | rote Äpfel |
| blau | blauer Himmel | blaue Blume | blaues Kleid | blaue Kleider |
| grün | grüner Baum | grüne Blume | grünes Blatt | grüne Blätter |
| gelb | gelber Ball | gelbe Blume | gelbes Ei | gelbe Bälle |
Note: The endings shown are for the nominative case* with the definite article (der, die, das, die).
Summary
- Basic color words in German are: rot, blau, grün, gelb, schwarz, weiß, braun, grau, rosa, lila.
- Colors usually come after the article and noun.
- Color adjectives change endings based on gender, number, and case.
- Use singular or plural forms as needed.
Fill in the blank: Der Ball ist ___ (gelb).
gelber
‘Ball’ is masculine singular nominative, so the adjective takes the ending '-er': 'gelber Ball.'
Translate the German sentence into English: Das Kleid ist rosa.
The dress is pink.
'Kleid' means dress and 'rosa' means pink. The correct English translation is 'The dress is pink.'
Flashcards (1 of 13)
- English Color: red
- English Sentence: The tomato is red.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
