Colors & Shapes

Introduction

Colors are among the first words you learn, but Spanish colors have a twist — most of them are adjectives that must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This lesson covers all the colors, their agreement rules, and useful color expressions.

The Basic Colors

Shades and Modifiers

• claro/a — light: azul claro (light blue)
• oscuro/a — dark: verde oscuro (dark green)
• brillante — bright: rojo brillante (bright red)

Agreement Rules

Colors with four forms (masculine/feminine, singular/plural)

Most colors ending in -o change for gender and number:

• el coche rojo / la casa roja / los coches rojos / las casas rojas
• el gato blanco / la gata blanca / los gatos blancos / las gatas blancas

Same for: amarillo, negro, morado, dorado, plateado, rosado

Colors with two forms (singular/plural only)

Colors ending in -e or a consonant change only for number:

• verde → verdes: la planta verde / las plantas verdes
• azul → azules: el cielo azul / los cielos azules
• gris → grises: el gato gris / los gatos grises
• marrón → marrones: el perro marrón / los perros marrones

Colors that NEVER change

Colors derived from nouns (fruits, flowers, etc.) are invariable:

• naranja: los zapatos naranja (NOT naranjos)
• rosa: las flores rosa (NOT rosas when meaning color)
• violeta: los vestidos violeta
• turquesa: las paredes turquesa

Tip: If the color is also a thing (orange the fruit, rose the flower), it doesn't change.

Common Expressions with Colors

• ponerse rojo/a — to turn red / to blush
• verlo todo negro — to see everything negatively
• estar en números rojos — to be in the red (financially)
• dar luz verde — to give the green light
• quedarse en blanco — to go blank (mind)
• príncipe azul — Prince Charming
• humor negro — dark humor
• la prensa rosa — celebrity gossip press

Basic Shapes (Formas)

Shape Adjectives

• redondo/a — round
• cuadrado/a — square
• triangular — triangular
• rectangular — rectangular
• ovalado/a — oval

La mesa es redonda. — The table is round. Necesito una caja cuadrada. — I need a square box.

Practice