The word "color" translates to color in Spanish (pronunciation). If you have recently started learning this language, colors will be some of the first words you will learn. Try to label the colored objects you have in the house with their respective terms in Spanish to memorize them first.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Learning the Main Colors
Step 1. Learn to say rojo (pronunciation)
Rojo means "red". To pronounce it correctly, you need to emit a vibrant "r". Learning this sound can be difficult, especially for a native Italian speaker.
- When in Spanish you pronounce the "r" at the beginning of a word, imagine that it is double to better reproduce the vibration that characterizes it.
- Also try to emit a single vibration when you say it.
Step 2. Learn to say naranja or anaranjado, which means "orange"
In Spanish, two words can be used to refer to orange: naranja (pronunciation) and anaranjado (pronunciation).
Generally speaking, the word naranja is used to refer to the fruit, while anaranjado to the color. Although it is possible to use the term naranja to speak of color, the word anaranjado could never be used to refer to the fruit, unless it is used as an adjective (example: Tengo una naranja anaranjada, ie "I have an orange orange")
Step 3. Learn the word amarillo (pronunciation), which means "yellow"
Given the presence of the digraph "ll", it may be necessary to practice a little more to pronounce this term correctly.
In Spanish there are other words that refer to various shades of yellow. For example, limón (pronunciation) is used to describe lemon yellow objects, while dorado (pronunciation) is used to describe golden objects
Step 4. Translate "green" to green (pronunciation)
Remember that in Spanish the letter "v" is pronounced "b", as in the Italian words "bicycle" or "beautiful". Just avoid closing your lips completely, as happens in Italian.
There are several shades of green, described using compound terms. For example, "lime green" is lime green (pronounced) and "apple green" manzana green ([1])
Step 5. Learn the term azul (pronunciation), which means "blue"
It is quite similar to the Italian "blue", which indicates the shade of the clear sky. In Spanish, azul means "blue".
Once you have learned the word azul, it will be useful to memorize the terms that refer to the various shades of this color. For example, in Spanish we also use the word celeste (pronunciation), or "celestial"
Step 6. Use morado to translate "purple" and violeta for "purple"
The "r" of morado is not vibrant (pronunciation). Listen to the pronunciation of violeta here.
- The term "purple" can also be translated as purpura.
- These words can be used to refer to specific tones, but they are also often interchanged and used as synonyms by native Spanish speakers.
Step 7. Choose marrón or café to describe a brown object
In Spanish, these terms are usually used to describe a brown object, even if they refer to different shades.
- Marrón (pronunciation) refers to the classic brown, but is also used for a lighter brown or chestnut.
- Café, pronounced as it is read, is used to describe darker brown tones.
- To describe a brown object, you can also use the words associated with the various types of wood.
Step 8. To describe a black object, use the word negro (pronunciation)
Gray is considered a shade of black, although no one would ever use the term "light black". "Gray" translates to gris in Spanish (pronunciation)
Step 9. To describe a white object, use the word blanco
White is actually achromatic and represents the absence of color, but it can still be used to describe an object. Hear the pronunciation here.
There are various shades of white, such as creamy white, called cream in Spanish (pronunciation), and beige, which is spelled and pronounced like in Italian
Method 2 of 3: Learn Other Colors
Step 1. To say that a color is dark, use the word dark
If you want to say that the color of an object is darker and more intense, you can add the adjective dark to the noun of the color. As happens in Italian, also in Spanish the adjective must be inserted after the noun.
- For example, if you want to say that an object is dark green, use the expression dark green (pronounce).
- Some dark shades have their own terms. For example, navy blue is called azul marino in Spanish. However, if you haven't mastered the less common colors yet, you can refer to them using the words you already know. For example, in this case you could simply say azul oscuro.
Step 2. Use the adjective claro to talk about a light color
When after the name of the color you pronounce or write the word claro (pronunciation), then you are referring to a lighter shade of the same color. For example, verde claro means "light green".
As with dark shades, some light shades also have specific terms. However, if you simply add the adjective claro to the color, you will still be able to express yourself correctly
Step 3. Learn to define the various fantasies
When it comes to colors, it can happen that you find yourself describing an object with stripes or polka dots rather than a solid color. In this case, you could also use the adjective estampado (pronunciation) to simply say that an object has a pattern or pattern.
To say that an object is striped, use the adjective rayado (pronunciation). If an object, such as an article of clothing, is polka-dotted, use the expression de lunares (pronunciation), which also means "dotted"
Step 4. Learn the terms used to define colors derived from minerals, flowers or foods
In Italian there are words like "lilac" or "jade" that refer to both a color and an object (in this example a plant and a gem). In Spanish you can use the term jade (pronunciation) to refer to a green object or lila (pronunciation) to refer to a lilac object.
- Just like in Italian, the word rosa (pronunciation) describes both the flower and the color.
- Ámbar describes the intense golden-orange color of amber. Albaricoque (pronunciation) is another specific term to refer to an orange hue, in this case apricot.
Method 3 of 3: Use Colors in Written or Spoken Language
Step 1. Change the gender of the colors to match the noun they describe
Since colors are usually used as adjectives, you have to change them according to the genre they refer to.
- Generally, if the noun is feminine, the "o" becomes "a". For example, the phrase "The shirt is black" translates as follows: "La camisa es negra.
- If the name of the color ends in "e" or consonant, it must not be changed according to the gender of the noun. For example, the word azul remains unchanged.
Step 2. If you describe more than one object, add an "s"
In most cases, it is necessary to reflect the plurality of the objects described by also changing the color.
- In general, you simply need to add an "s" to the end of the word to transform it into the plural. For example, the phrase "There are two black cats" translates as follows: Hay dos gatos negros.
- To transform some terms into the plural, you need to add "es" instead of just an "s". Think for example of the following colors: azul (azules), marrón (marrónes) and gris (grises).
Step 3. Learn to recognize invariable colors
Words ending in "a" do not require a gender change and do not even have a plural. For example, if you had to describe a masculine noun viola, you would continue to use violeta instead of turning it into violet.
Step 4. Do not change the color term when it belongs to an expression
If you have to describe an object using the expression "of color", the form of the noun referring to the color does not change under any circumstances, either to determine the gender or to determine the plural.
In Spanish there is the expression de color or color + color name. It can be useful for beginners and when in doubt about changing the gender or forming the plural. Just enter de color or color in front of the color name
Step 5. Do not modify the expressions formed by a color name and an adjective
If the term referring to the color is changed by another word, as in the case of lime green ("lime green"), you must not change either the gender or the number of the noun described.
Step 6. Correctly enter the words that refer to the colors within a sentence
For Italian native speakers this step does not involve particular difficulties, as the color must be inserted after the word it describes.
