Basic colors in German, covering essential vocabulary for everyday descriptions, including singular and plural forms, along with example sentences.
This page introduces the fundamental color vocabulary in German, providing singular and plural forms (or masculine/feminine where applicable), along with example sentences to illustrate usage. These are the building blocks for describing everyday objects and situations.
Basic Color Vocabulary
Here are the most common basic colors in German, including example sentences to show how they are used in context.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rot | - | red | - | Der Apfel ist rot. | The apple is red. |
| blau | - | blue | - | Der Himmel ist blau. | The sky is blue. |
| gelb | - | yellow | - | Die Banane ist gelb. | The banana is yellow. |
| grün | - | green | - | Das Gras ist grün. | The grass is green. |
| schwarz | - | black | - | Die Katze ist schwarz. | The cat is black. |
| weiß | - | white | - | Das Papier ist weiß. | The paper is white. |
| braun | - | brown | - | Der Stuhl ist braun. | The chair is brown. |
| grau | - | gray | - | Der Himmel ist grau. | The sky is gray. |
| orange | - | orange | - | Die Orange ist orange. | The orange is orange. |
| rosa | - | pink | - | Das Kleid ist rosa. | The dress is pink. |
Colors with Gendered Forms
Some color usage changes depending on the gender of the noun. Here are examples with masculine (m), feminine (f), and neuter (n) singular forms.
| Gender | German | English | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | roter Apfel | red apple | Ich esse einen roten Apfel. | I am eating a red apple. |
| f | rote Rose | red rose | Die rote Rose ist schön. | The red rose is beautiful. |
| n | rotes Auto | red car | Das rote Auto ist schnell. | The red car is fast. |
| m | blauer Himmel | blue sky | Wir sehen den blauen Himmel. | We see the blue sky. |
| f | blaue Blume | blue flower | Die blaue Blume duftet. | The blue flower smells nice. |
| n | blaues Kleid | blue dress | Sie trägt ein blaues Kleid. | She is wearing a blue dress. |
| m | gelber Ball | yellow ball | Der gelbe Ball ist rund. | The yellow ball is round. |
| f | gelbe Banane | yellow banana | Ich esse eine gelbe Banane. | I am eating a yellow banana. |
| n | gelbes Licht | yellow light | Das gelbe Licht leuchtet. | The yellow light is shining. |
| m | grüner Apfel | green apple | Ich habe einen grünen Apfel. | I have a green apple. |
Understanding these endings (-er for masculine, -e for feminine, -es for neuter) is key to using colors correctly in German.
Colors in Plural
When describing multiple items, German plurals often use the feminine singular form, but the article changes to “die.” Here are examples in plural form.
| German Plural | English Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| rote Äpfel | red apples | Ich habe rote Äpfel. | I have red apples. |
| blaue Stühle | blue chairs | Die blauen Stühle sind bequem. | The blue chairs are comfortable. |
| gelbe Bananen | yellow bananas | Wir essen gelbe Bananen. | We are eating yellow bananas. |
| grüne Blätter | green leaves | Die grünen Blätter sind frisch. | The green leaves are fresh. |
| schwarze Katzen | black cats | Schwarze Katzen sind meist scheu. | Black cats are usually shy. |
| weiße Tassen | white cups | Ich habe weiße Tassen. | I have white cups. |
| braune Hunde | brown dogs | Braune Hunde sind freundlich. | Brown dogs are friendly. |
| graue Mäuse | gray mice | Graue Mäuse sind klein. | Gray mice are small. |
| orange Kugeln | orange balls | Die orangenen Kugeln sind bunt. | The orange balls are colorful. |
| rosa Blumen | pink flowers | Rosa Blumen sind schön. | Pink flowers are beautiful. |
The adjective endings for plural are usually “-en” after the definite article.
What is the correct adjective ending for plural nouns in German after the definite article 'die'?
-en
After the plural definite article 'die', adjectives take the '-en' ending (e.g., 'die roten Äpfel').
Summary
This page has covered the following key points about basic German colors:
- Basic color vocabues: rot, blau, gelb, grün, schwarz, weiß, braun, grau, orange, rosa
- Gendered forms: masc. -er, fem. -e, neut. -es (e.g., roter, rote, rotes)
- Plural forms: usually “-e” or “-en” endings (e.g., rote Äpfel, blaue Stühle)
With these foundations, you can start describing the world around you in German using color!
Which of the following is a correct summary of German color adjective endings?
Masculine -er, Feminine -e, Neuter -es, Plural -e or -en
The correct pattern is Masculine '-er', Feminine '-e', Neuter '-es', and Plural '-e' (without article) or '-en' (with article).
Flashcards (1 of 30)
- English Singular: red
- English Plural: -
- English Example: The apple is red.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
