The 20th Word of the Month is: COLOURS

This word originally appeared in our Spanish word of the month by email

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Introduction

Colours sounds as if it should be for absolute beginners but there are some words which will be interesting to the more advanced. Did you know that colour blindness is "daltonismo" and someone who is colourblind "es daltónico"? Apparently, colourblindness affects approximately 8% of the male population and 0.5% of the female population.

Spanish
English
COLORES - COLOURS
rojo red
naranja orange
amarillo yellow
verde green
azul blue
púrpura/morado purple
marrón brown
negro black
gris grey
blanco white
índigo, añil indigo
rosa pink
azul claro light blue
celeste pale blue, sky blue
azul oscuro dark blue
azul intenso deep blue
azul marino navy blue
azul fuerte/vivo/brillante
Llevó una chaqueta de un rojo fuerte. 		bright blue
She wore a bright red jacket.
verde aceituna/oliva olive green
negro azabache jet black
verde manzana apple green
crema salmonado apricot
color aguamarina aquamarine
verde pino avocado
beige beige
color guinda cerise
color crema cream
carmesí crimson
de color rosa viejo dusty-pink
verde esmeralda emerald
fucsia fuchsia
dorado golden
marfil ivory
verde jade jade
caqui, kaki khaki
azul lavanda lavender
amarillo limón lemon
lila lilac
verde lima lime
magenta magenta
mostaza mustard
beige crudo oatmeal
color ocre ochre
color hueso off-white
color durazno/melocotón peach
color ciruela plum
color rojizo russet
color salmón salmon
siena sienna
plateado silver
habano tan
terracota terra cotta
color topacio/ámbar topaz
color carey tortoiseshell
azul turquesa turquoise
colorante food colouring
violeta violet

NOTE

If you want to use any of the words with "color" in as an adjective you will need to add the word "de":
e.g. Compró un traje de color hueso. (He bought an off-white jacket)
COLOUR NOUNS
un morado a bruise
el blanco target / bull's eye
el vino tinto red wine
el vino blanco white wine
el vino rosado rosé wine
COLOUR EXPRESSIONS
ROJO
ponerse hecho una furia
ponerse rojo
ponerse más rojo que un tomate
estar en números rojos		 RED
to see red
to blush
to turn as red as a beetroot
to be in the red
AMARILLO
la prensa amarilla/amarillista/sensacionalista		 YELLOW
the yellow press
VERDE
estar verde
me muero de envidia
poner verde a alguien
tener mano para las plantas
un viejo verde		 GREEN
to be green (inexperienced)
I'm green with envy
to call someone all the names under the sun
to have green fingers
a dirty old man
AZUL
amoratado de frío
una película verde / porno
esfumarse 		BLUE
blue with cold
a blue film
to disappear into the blue
NEGRO
mentir descaradamente
una mirada de odio
pasarlas negras
dijo la sartén al cazo		 BLACK
to swear black is white
a black look
to have a tough time
That's the pot calling the kettle black.

BLANCO
Se casó de blanco.
Se pusieron blanco de miedo.
Me quedé en blanco.

 WHITE
She had a white wedding.
They went white with fear.
My mind went blank.
OTRAS FRASES
daltonismo colour blindness
perder color to fade
estar matizado de to be tinged with
televisión de color colour television
televisión de blanco y negro
Note: how the colours are reversed 		black and white television
apagado dull
chillón garish
llamativo, chillón loud
chillón, chabacano lurid
vibrante vibrant
tonos pastel pastel shades
colores primarios/fundamentales primary colours
rojizo reddish
amarillento yellowish
verdoso greenish
azulado bluish
negruzco/renegrido blackish
blanquecino/blancuzco whitish
azul verdoso greenish blue
azúcar moreno/morena brown sugar
arco iris rainbow
HAIR COLOUR
castaño rojizo auburn
rubio blonde
castaño brown
castaño chestnut
rubio fair
pelirrojo, color zanahoria ginger
canoso/gris/cano
Es canoso. / Tiene el pelo canoso. / Tiene canas.		 grey
He's got grey hair.
castaño desvaído mousy

pelirrojo
Es pelirrojo.

red
She's got red hair.
rubio rojizo sandy
Voy a teñirme el pelo de rubio I'm going to dye my hair blonde

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