Color expressions in Spanish that go beyond basic color words, including idioms and common phrases using colors.
Spanish has many expressions that use color words to convey emotions, describe situations, or add flair to everyday language. These idioms can help you sound more natural and understand native speakers better. Here are some common color expressions beyond just naming colors.
Common Idioms
These are some of the most frequent color-related idioms you’ll hear in Spanish.
- Ponerse rojo/a: to blush or get embarrassed
- Estar verde: to be inexperienced or unripe
- Verlo todo de color de rosa: to see everything through rose-colored glasses
- Estar negro/a: to be very angry
- Tener la negra: to have bad luck
Estar ___: to be inexperienced or unripe.
What does the expression 'Estar verde' mean in Spanish?
verde
'Estar verde' means to be inexperienced or unripe, both literally and figuratively. The other colors do not convey this meaning.
Emotions and Moods
Colors are often used to describe how someone is feeling.
- Estar azul: to feel sad or down
- Ponerse blanco/a: to turn pale, usually from fear or shock
- Estar amarillo/a: to look sick (especially jaundiced)
- Ver rojo: to see red, meaning to get very angry
- Estar como una rosa: to look fresh and well
Describing People
These expressions use color to talk about people’s appearance or personality.
- Ser un lío morado: to be very complicated or messy
- Tener sangre azul: to be of noble or royal descent
- Ser más verde que una lechuga: to be very naive or inexperienced
- Tener ojos de lince: to have sharp eyes (not a color idiom, but common)
- Ser un cabeza negra: to be stubborn (regional)
Situations and Outcomes
Color expressions are also used to describe how situations turn out or how someone reacts.
- Salir en blanco: to come up empty-handed
- Quedarse en negro: to fail or end up with nothing
- Cerrar en rojo: to close the day with losses (used in business)
- Llevarse un chasco: to be disappointed (not color-related, but common)
- Estar en color de hormiga: to be very crowded or busy
Advice and Warnings
Some color expressions come with a piece of advice or a warning.
- No te fíes del color: don’t trust appearances
- No hay rosa sin espinas: there’s no rose without thorns (every good thing has drawbacks)
- No pongas todo en negro: don’t be overly pessimistic
- Cuidado con el marrón: watch out for the difficult situation
- A mal tiempo, buena cara: put on a brave face in bad times (not color-specific but useful)
No hay ___ sin espinas: there's no rose without thorns.
What does the proverb 'No hay rosa sin espinas' mean?
rosa
'No hay rosa sin espinas' means that every good thing has its difficulties or drawbacks.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
