This page provides German vocabulary for expressing colors specifically within the context of clothing, along with example sentences to help you describe what people are wearing.
Common Clothing Colors
These are the most commonly used color words when talking about clothing in German. Most of these colors can be used directly before a noun, but keep in mind that the adjective ending may change depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun (e.g., roter Pullover, rote Bluse, rotes Kleid, rote Kleider).
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Singular | Example Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rot | rote | red | red | Ein rotes Kleid (A red dress) | Rote Kleider (Red dresses) |
| blau | blaue | blue | blue | Ein blauer Pullover (A blue sweater) | Blaue Pullover (Blue sweaters) |
| grün | grüne | green | green | Eine grüne Jacke (A green jacket) | Grüne Jacken (Green jackets) |
| gelb | gelbe | yellow | yellow | Ein gelbes T-Shirt (A yellow T-shirt) | Gelbe T-Shirts (Yellow T-shirts) |
| schwarz | schwarze | black | black | Ein schwarzer Mantel (A black coat) | Schwarze Mäntel (Black coats) |
| weiß | weiße | white | white | Eine weiße Bluse (A white blouse) | Weiße Blusen (White blouses) |
| grau | graue | gray | gray | Eine graue Hose (Gray pants) | Graue Hosen (Gray pants) |
| braun | braune | brown | brown | Ein brauner Gürtel (A brown belt) | Braune Gürtel (Brown belts) |
| rosa | - | pink | pink | Ein rosa Rock (A pink skirt) | Rosa Röcke (Pink skirts) |
Note: Some colors like rosa (pink) and lila (purple) do not change form.*
Example Sentences
Here are some example sentences using color vocabulary in clothing. The adjective endings shown are for the nominative case; these will change in other grammatical contexts.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Singular | Example Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ich trage einen roten Pullover. | Ich trage rote Pullover. | I am wearing a red sweater. | I am wearing red sweaters. | Ich habe einen roten Pullover gekauft. (I bought a red sweater.) | Ich sehe viele rote Pullover. (I see many red sweaters.) |
| Sie hat eine blaue Jacke. | Sie haben blaue Jacken. | She has a blue jacket. | They have blue jackets. | Sie trägt eine blaue Jacke zur Schule. (She wears a blue jacket to school.) | Sie besitzen mehrere blaue Jacken. (They own several blue jackets.) |
| Er kauft ein grünes T-Shirt. | Sie kaufen grüne T-Shirts. | He is buying a green T-shirt. | They are buying green T-shirts. | Er hat ein grünes T-Shirt an. (He is wearing a green T-shirt.) | Sie nehmen grüne T-Shirts mit. (They are taking green T-shirts.) |
Translate this sentence into German: 'She wears a blue jacket to school.'
Sie trägt eine blaue Jacke zur Schule.
'Jacke' is feminine singular in the accusative case (object of 'trägt'). The adjective 'blau' takes the ending '-e,' resulting in 'blaue.' The prepositional phrase 'zur Schule' (to school) is correctly placed at the end.
Useful Phrases
These common German phrases will help you talk about the color of clothing items.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Singular | Example Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welche Farbe hat das Kleid? | - | What color is the dress? | - | - | - |
| Das Hemd ist blau. | - | The shirt is blue. | - | - | - |
| Ich suche eine schwarze Hose. | - | I am looking for black pants. | - | - | - |
| Die Schuhe sind braun. | - | The shoes are brown. | - | - | - |
| Sie trägt eine weiße Bluse. | - | She is wearing a white blouse. | - | - | - |
Translate this phrase into German: 'The shoes are brown.'
Die Schuhe sind braun.
'Schuhe' (shoes) is plural, so the definite article is 'die,' and the verb agrees in plural form: 'sind.' When using 'sein' (to be) to describe color, the adjective remains in its base form without an ending. Therefore, 'Die Schuhe sind braun.' is correct.
Summary
- German color adjectives for clothing must agree in gender, number, and case:
- Maskulinum: -er (e.g., roter Pullover)
- Femininum: -e (e.g., rote Bluse)
- Neutrum: -es (e.g., rotes Kleid)
- Plural: -e (e.g., rote Kleider)
- Most colors are straightforward: just add the correct ending to the base color word.
- Some colors like rosa and lila do not change form.
- Use example sentences to practice placing the colored adjective before clothing nouns.
Flashcards (1 of 17)
- Example Singular: Ein rotes Kleid (A red dress)
- Example Plural: Rote Kleider (Red dresses)
- English Singular: red
- English Plural: red
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
