Colors in Spanish
Last reviewed on September 15, 2026.
The basic colors in Spanish are rojo, naranja, amarillo, verde, azul, morado, rosa, negro, blanco, gris and marrón. In Spanish the word for a color is called un color (plural colores), and color words behave like adjectives: they come after the noun and, for most colors, change to match it. This guide gives you every basic color with audio and pronunciation, the three agreement patterns that decide between rojo and roja, and the shades, questions and idioms you will actually hear.
The Basic Colors in Spanish
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | rojo | ROH-hoh | |
| Orange | naranja | nah-RAHN-hah | |
| Yellow | amarillo | ah-mah-REE-yoh | |
| Green | verde | BEHR-deh | |
| Blue | azul | ah-SOOL | |
| Purple | morado | moh-RAH-doh | |
| Pink | rosa | ROH-sah | |
| Black | negro | NEH-groh | |
| White | blanco | BLAHN-koh | |
| Gray | gris | GREES | |
| Brown | marrón (or café) | mah-RROHN | |
| Gold | dorado | doh-RAH-doh | — |
| Silver | plateado | plah-teh-AH-doh | — |
Each color name links to its own guide with example sentences, regional notes and FAQs.
Rule 1: The Color Comes After the Noun
English puts the color first (a red car); Spanish almost always puts it after: un coche rojo, una casa blanca, los ojos azules. When you talk about the color itself, it becomes a masculine noun: El verde es mi color favorito (Green is my favorite color), Me gusta el azul (I like blue).
Rule 2: Three Agreement Patterns
Whether a color changes depends on how it ends. Once you know which group a color belongs to, you will never have to guess.
| Pattern | Colors | Forms | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ends in -o: four forms | rojo, amarillo, morado, negro, blanco, dorado, plateado | rojo · roja · rojos · rojas | las manzanas rojas |
| Ends in -e or a consonant: two forms | verde, azul, gris, marrón | azul · azules | una camisa azul, dos camisas azules |
| Named after a thing: traditionally invariable | rosa, naranja, violeta, lila, turquesa, café | rosa (no roso) | un vestido rosa, unos pantalones rosa |
A few spelling details trip people up: marrón loses its accent in the plural (marrones), and gris becomes grises. For the third group, the agreed plural (camisetas naranjas, flores rosas) is very common in everyday speech; if you want to sidestep the question, say de color rosa or de color naranja, which never changes.
Light, Dark and Other Shades
To make a color lighter or darker, add claro (light) or oscuro (dark) after it: azul claro, verde oscuro. These two-word colors normally stay invariable, so you say unas camisas azul claro, not azules claras.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| light blue / sky blue | azul claro · celeste |
| dark blue | azul oscuro |
| navy blue | azul marino |
| dark green | verde oscuro |
| olive green | verde oliva |
| turquoise | turquesa |
| violet / lilac | violeta · lila |
| fuchsia | fucsia |
| beige | beige (also spelled beis) |
| cream | crema |
| burgundy / maroon | granate (Spain) · color vino (Latin America) |
How to Ask About Colors
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿De qué color es? | What color is it? |
| ¿De qué color es tu coche? — Es rojo. | What color is your car? — It’s red. |
| ¿Cuál es tu color favorito? | What’s your favorite color? |
| Mi color favorito es el verde. | My favorite color is green. |
| ¿Lo tiene en otro color? | Do you have it in another color? |
| Busco una chaqueta negra. | I’m looking for a black jacket. |
Notice that the question uses de: ¿De qué color…? literally means “Of what color…?”. Asking ¿Qué color es? is understood, but it sounds like a beginner’s translation.
Colors for Hair and Eyes
Hair and eye colors use some words you will not find in a basic color chart:
- rubio / rubia — blond
- castaño / castaña — brown-haired (pelo castaño)
- moreno / morena — dark-haired; in Spain it also describes a tan
- pelirrojo / pelirroja — red-haired
- tener canas — to have gray hair (not pelo gris)
- ojos azules, verdes, negros — blue, green, dark eyes
- ojos marrones (Spain) / ojos cafés (Mexico) — brown eyes
- ojos color miel — hazel or light-brown eyes (literally “honey-colored”)
Common Idioms with Colors
| Spanish | Literal meaning | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ponerse rojo | to turn red | to blush |
| quedarse en blanco | to stay in white | to go blank |
| estar verde | to be green | to be unripe or inexperienced |
| la oveja negra | the black sheep | the black sheep (same as English) |
| un ojo morado | a purple eye | a black eye |
| estar en números rojos | to be in red numbers | to be in the red, owe money |
| el príncipe azul | the blue prince | Prince Charming |
| verlo todo de color de rosa | to see it all pink | to see the world through rose-tinted glasses |
| la prensa amarilla | the yellow press | the tabloid press |
Regional Differences
Most color words are the same everywhere, with two notable exceptions. Brown is marrón in Spain and the Southern Cone but usually café in Mexico, Central America and the Andes (una camisa café). Pink is rosa in Spain, while rosado is the everyday form in much of Latin America. You will also hear colorado for red in parts of Latin America, especially in ponerse colorado (to blush).
Keep Learning
Practise the colors together with the numbers on our colors and numbers audio list, then put them into sentences: Tengo dos lápices amarillos uses both. Count higher with numbers in Spanish from 1 to 100, name everything on your desk with our guide to classroom objects in Spanish, or browse all our Spanish vocabulary lists with audio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic colors in Spanish?
The basic colors are rojo (red), naranja (orange), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), azul (blue), morado (purple), rosa (pink), negro (black), blanco (white), gris (gray) and marrón (brown).
Do colors change for gender in Spanish?
Colors ending in -o have four forms: rojo, roja, rojos, rojas. Colors ending in -e or a consonant, such as verde, azul and gris, only change in the plural. Colors named after things, such as rosa and naranja, traditionally do not change at all.
Does the color go before or after the noun in Spanish?
After the noun: el coche rojo (the red car), la casa blanca (the white house), los ojos azules (blue eyes).
How do you say light blue and dark blue in Spanish?
Add claro or oscuro: azul claro is light blue and azul oscuro is dark blue. Navy blue is azul marino, and celeste is a common word for sky blue across Latin America.
How do you ask what color something is in Spanish?
Ask ¿De qué color es? For example: ¿De qué color es tu coche? — Es rojo.
Is brown marrón or café in Spanish?
Both are correct. Marrón is standard in Spain and the Southern Cone, while café is the everyday word in Mexico, Central America and the Andes. For hair and eyes, castaño is also common.