🎨 Colors - Colores

Aa ⏱ ≈ 14 minutes

Beginner Spanish · Colors and descriptions

Colors in Spanish

A color word gets more useful the moment you attach it to something. Learn the colors you will hear most often, then use them to describe clothes, cars, objects, and anything else that catches your eye.

Your next small win: name common colors, describe an object with the right color form, and ask someone what color something is.

Start with six

Essential Colors

Begin with a small group you can reuse everywhere. Listen to each color, say it aloud, and picture something that matches it.

blanco White
negro Black
rojo Red
azul Blue
verde Green
amarillo Yellow

Choose something you can see

Look around you. Pick one object and say only its color in Spanish.

More common colors
naranjaOrange
moradoPurple
rosaPink
marrónBrown
grisGray
doradoGold / golden

Let the color match

Color Agreement

A color is often an adjective in Spanish. That means its form may change to match the noun it describes.

Colors ending in -o

el coche rojo The red car Coche is masculine, so the color stays rojo.
la camisa roja The red shirt Camisa is feminine, so rojo becomes roja.
el zapato negro The black shoe One masculine noun uses negro.
los zapatos negros The black shoes The plural adjective becomes negros.

A useful pattern: colors ending in -o, such as rojo, negro, and amarillo, can change their ending to match gender and number.

Make red match the shirt

Complete the phrase la camisa... with the correct form of rojo.

Azul and verde

Colors such as azul and verde do not change between masculine and feminine in these examples, but they do change when the noun becomes plural.

el coche azul The blue car
la camisa azul The blue shirt
los coches azules The blue cars
las camisas azules The blue shirts

Turn colors into descriptions

Using Colors in Spanish

Once you know the color, give it something to describe. In these examples, the color adjective comes after the noun.

una bicicleta amarilla A yellow bicycle The noun comes first, followed by the color.
un vestido verde A green dress The color follows vestido.
una mochila gris A gray backpack
una caja morada A purple box

Ask about a color

¿De qué color es tu mochila? What color is your backpack?
Es gris. It is gray.

Ask and answer

Imagine that a friend's backpack is gray. Ask what color it is, then answer your own question.

More descriptions to practice
Prefiero el vestido azul al vestido negro. I prefer the blue dress to the black dress.
Nuestra casa tiene una puerta roja que se ve desde lejos. Our house has a red door that can be seen from far away.
Busco una mochila gris para llevar al trabajo. I am looking for a gray backpack to take to work.
Las flores amarillas alegran todo el jardín. The yellow flowers brighten the whole garden.

Put the colors to work

Everyday Conversations

Colors are especially useful when you are choosing between things or trying to identify an object. Read both parts aloud and listen for the color words.

Shopping for a shirt

A
¿Tiene esta camisa en azul? Do you have this shirt in blue?
B
Sí, la tenemos en azul, blanco y negro. Yes, we have it in blue, white, and black.
A
Perfecto. Quiero probarme la azul. Perfect. I want to try on the blue one.

Finding a car

A
¿De qué color es tu coche? What color is your car?
B
Es gris y está estacionado junto al coche rojo. It is gray and it is parked next to the red car.

Your turn · 8 quick questions

Practice: Colors and Agreement

Choose the color or phrase that fits each situation. The questions focus on the main vocabulary and agreement patterns from the lesson.

Audio uses your device's Spanish text-to-speech voice. Listen to the color or phrase, then try saying it yourself.