Color expressions in Spanish do more than name hues—they also appear in fixed phrases and idioms that add vividness to everyday conversation. This section is organized by category to help you learn color expressions naturally.

Common Color Phrases

These are everyday phrases that use color words in straightforward ways.

Spanish Expression	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
de color ...	of ... color	La camisa de color azul es mía.	The blue shirt is mine.
... claro	light ...	Quiero un vestido rojo claro.	I want a light red dress.
... oscuro	dark ...	El cabello oscuro es muy común.	Dark hair is very common.
colorido/a	colorful	El mural es muy colorido.	The mural is very colorful.
sin color	colorless	El papel está sin color.	The paper is colorless.

Idioms with Colors

These expressions are fixed phrases that use color words metaphorically.

Spanish Idiom	English Equivalent	Spanish Example	English Example
ponerse rojo	to blush	Se puso rojo de vergüenza.	He blushed with embarrassment.
estar verde	to be inexperienced	Está verde en el trabajo.	He’s inexperienced at work.
ver todo negro	to be pessimistic	Veo todo negro hoy.	I’m feeling pessimistic today.
hacerse humo	to disappear (like smoke)	Se hizo humo en la fiesta.	He disappeared at the party.
tener sangre azul	to be of noble birth	Dicen que tiene sangre azul.	They say she’s of noble birth.

Describing Objects

These phrases help you describe objects using colors.

Spanish Phrase	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
de tono ...	of ... tone	Tiene un tono piel claro.	She has a light skin tone.
teñido/a de ...	dyed ...	El cabello está teñido de rubio.	The hair is dyed blonde.
con matices ...	with ... shades	La pintura tiene matices azules.	The paint has blue shades.
brillar en ...	to shine in ...	El vestido brilla en dorado.	The dress shines in gold.
acabado ...	... finish	La mesa tiene acabado negro.	The table has a black finish.

Colors in Nature

These expressions describe natural phenomena using color words.

Spanish Phrase	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
atardecer rojo	red sunset	El atardecer rojo es hermoso.	The red sunset is beautiful.
cielo azul	blue sky	El cielo azul está despejado.	The blue sky is clear.
hojas verdes	green leaves	Las hojas verdes son frescas.	The green leaves are fresh.
tierra marrón	brown earth	La tierra marrón está húmeda.	The brown earth is moist.
nieve blanca	white snow	La nieve blanca cubre la montaña.	The white snow covers the mountain.

Emotions and Colors

These expressions link colors to feelings or moods.

Spanish Phrase	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
estar azul	to feel sad	Hoy estoy azul.	I’m feeling sad today.
estar rojo/a	to be angry	Ella está roja de ira.	She’s red with anger.
ponerse amarillo/a	to feel nauseous	Me puse amarillo en el viaje.	I felt nauseous on the trip.
estar blanco/a	to be shocked	Quedó blanco con la noticia.	He was shocked by the news.
tener cara colorada	to have a flushed face	Tiene la cara colorada.	She has a flushed face.

Color expressions in Spanish offer multiple ways to describe the world around you, from literal descriptions to vivid idioms. Use these categories to expand your expressive range and speak more naturally.

Flashcards (1 of 25)

English Translation: of ... color
English Example: The blue shirt is mine.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025