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Colors in German

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Names of German colors can function as adjectives or nouns. Rot and Blau take lowercase initials when used as adjectives, but capitals when they name the colors as nouns. These color nouns are neuter. Rosa and Lila generally remain unchanged before a noun in standard German; simply adding the usual adjective endings is not the standard pattern.

Hellblau describes a light shade of blue, while Himmelblau evokes the color of a clear sky. The terms can overlap. Gold and Silber can name colors as well as metals, so the context determines which meaning is intended.

  1. Beige /beːʒ/ Beige A2Intermediate#
  2. Türkis /tʏʁˈkiːs/ der pl. die Türkise Turquoise B2Intermediate#
  3. Violett /vi̯oˈlɛt/ Violet A1Intermediate#
  4. Oliv /oˈliːf/ Olive B1Intermediate#
  5. Khaki /ˈkaːki/ Khaki B1Intermediate#
  6. Marineblau /maˈʁiːnəˌblaʊ̯/ Navy blue B1Intermediate#
  7. Rot /ˈʁoːt/ Red A1Elementary#
  8. Gelb /ɡɛlp/ Yellow A1Elementary#
  9. Blau /ˈblaʊ̯/ Blue A1Elementary#
  10. Grün /ɡʁyːn/ Green A1Elementary#
  11. Schwarz /ˈʃvaʁts/ Black A1Elementary#
  12. Weiß /vaɪ̯s/ White A1Elementary#
  13. Orange /oˈʁɑ̃ːʒə/ Orange A1Elementary#
  14. Lila /ˈliːla/ Purple A1Elementary#
  15. Rosa /ˈʁoːza/ Pink A1Elementary#
  16. Grau /ɡʁaʊ̯/ Gray A1Elementary#
  17. Braun /ˈbʁaʊ̯n/ Brown A1Elementary#
  18. Gold /ɡɔlt/ das Gold A2Elementary#
  19. Silber /ˈzɪlbɐ/ das Silver A2Elementary#
  20. Himmelblau /ˈhɪməlˌblaʊ̯/ Sky blue B1Intermediate#
  21. Hellblau /ˈhɛlˌblaʊ̯/ Light blue A1Elementary#
  22. Dunkelblau /ˈdʊŋkəlˌblaʊ̯/ Dark blue A1Elementary#
  23. Dunkelrot /ˈdʊŋkl̩ˌʁoːt/ Dark red A2Elementary#
  24. Bordeaux /bɔʁˈdoː/ das Bordeaux B1Advanced#
  25. Burgunderrot /bʊʁˈɡʊndɐˌʁoːt/ Burgundy red B2Advanced#
  26. Dunkelgrün /ˈdʊŋkəlˌɡʁyːn/ Dark green A1Elementary#
  27. Hellgrün /ˈhɛlˌɡʁyːn/ Light green A1Elementary#
  28. Zinnoberrot /tsɪˈnoːbɐˌʁoːt/ Vermilion C1Advanced#
  29. Umbrabraun /ˈʔʊmbʁaˌbʁaʊ̯n/ Umber brown C1Advanced#
  30. Indigoblau /ˈɪndiɡoˌblaʊ̯/ Indigo blue B2Advanced#
  31. Korallenrot /koˈʁalənˌʁoːt/ Coral red B2Advanced#
  32. Hellrot /ˈhɛlˌʁoːt/ Light red A2Elementary#
  33. Zitronengelb /tsiˈtʁoːnənˌɡɛlp/ Lemon yellow B2Elementary#
  34. Tiefschwarz /ˈtiːfˌʃvaʁts/ Jet black B2Elementary#
  35. Schneeweiß /ˈʃneːˌvaɪ̯s/ Snow white B1Elementary#
  36. Sandfarben /ˈzantˌfaʁbən/ Sand-colored B1Elementary#
  37. Schokoladenbraun /ʃokoˈlaːdənˌbʁaʊ̯n/ Chocolate brown B1Elementary#
  38. Pastellrosa /pasˈtɛlˌʁoːza/ Pastel pink B2Intermediate#
  39. Pastellgelb /pasˈtɛlˌɡɛlp/ Pastel yellow B2Intermediate#
  40. Neonorange /neˈoːnʔoˌʁɑ̃ːʒə/ Neon orange B1Intermediate#
  41. Neongrün /neˈoːnˌɡʁyːn/ Neon green B1Intermediate#
  42. Stahlblau /ˈʃtaːlˌblaʊ̯/ Steel blue B2Intermediate#
  43. Ocker /ˈɔkɐ/ der Ochre B2Intermediate#
  44. Sienna /ziˈɛna/ das Sienna C1Intermediate#
  45. Smaragdgrün /smaˈʁaktˌɡʁyːn/ Emerald green B2Intermediate#
  46. Salbeigrün /ˈzalbaɪ̯ˌɡʁyːn/ Sage green B2Intermediate#
  47. Pfirsichfarben /ˈpfɪʁzɪçˌfaʁbn̩/ Peach-colored B2Intermediate#

Rules to remember

  • Shade names such as Hellblau, Dunkelblau and Dunkelgrün are written as single words. Their first component indicates whether the shade is light or dark.
  • Before a noun, color adjectives such as Rot, Grün and Braun take endings that depend on gender, number, case and the preceding article.
  • When a color adjective describes the subject after a linking verb, it takes no adjective ending. This applies to Blau and Grün, for example.

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