Skip to content

Colors in Italian

64 words, from beginner to advanced. Tap a word to hear it.

Practice these words Download the list (PDF)

Good to know

Italian colors distinguish Blu, usually a deeper blue, from Azzurro, a lighter, sky-like blue. Rosa and Viola normally stay unchanged when describing nouns, despite ending in -a. Arancione and Marrone can take -i in the plural, but unchanged plural forms are also accepted.

Shade names such as Grigio topo and Verde salvia combine a color with the name of something that has that color. These combinations stay unchanged when describing plural nouns. Color adjectives usually follow the noun. In ordinary sentences, color names are normally written with a lowercase initial.

  1. Turchese /turˈkeze/ Turquoise A2Intermediate#
  2. Corallo /koˈrallo/ Coral B2Intermediate#
  3. Fucsia /ˈfuksja/ la pl. le fucsie Fuchsia B2Intermediate#
  4. Avorio /aˈvɔrjo/ l' Ivory B2Intermediate#
  5. Lavanda /laˈvanda/ Lavender B2Intermediate#
  6. Bordeaux /borˈdo/ Bordeaux red B1Intermediate#
  7. Rosso /ˈrosso/ Red A1Elementary#
  8. Giallo /ˈdʒallo/ Yellow A1Elementary#
  9. Blu /ˈblu/ Blue A1Elementary#
  10. Verde /ˈverde/ Green A1Elementary#
  11. Nero /ˈnero/ Black A1Elementary#
  12. Bianco /ˈbjaŋko/ White A1Elementary#
  13. Grigio /ˈɡridʒo/ Gray A1Elementary#
  14. Marrone /marˈrone/ Brown A1Elementary#
  15. Rosa /ˈrɔza/ Pink A1Elementary#
  16. Arancione /aranˈtʃone/ Orange colour A1Elementary#
  17. Viola /viˈɔla/ Violet A1Elementary#
  18. Azzurro /adˈdzurro/ Light blue A1Elementary#
  19. Verde militare /ˈverde miliˈtare/ Military green B1Intermediate#
  20. Grigio topo /ˈɡridʒo ˈtopo/ Mouse gray B1Intermediate#
  21. Giallo senape /ˈdʒallo ˈsɛnape/ Mustard yellow B2Intermediate#
  22. Carminio /karˈminjo/ Carmine C1Advanced#
  23. Ocra /ˈɔkra/ Ochre B2Advanced#
  24. Pervinca /perˈviŋka/ Periwinkle C1Advanced#
  25. Ceruleo /tʃeˈruleo/ Cerulean C2Advanced#
  26. Zaffiro /dzafˈfiro/ Sapphire B2Advanced#
  27. Beige /ˈbɛʒ/ Beige A2Elementary#
  28. Acquamarina /akkwamaˈrina/ Aquamarine B2Advanced#
  29. Vermiglio /verˈmiʎʎo/ Vermilion C2Advanced#
  30. Malva /ˈmalva/ Mauve B2Advanced#
  31. Carta da zucchero /ˈkarta da ˈdzukkero/ Powder blue B2Advanced#
  32. Blu oltremare /ˈblu oltreˈmare/ Ultramarine blue B2Advanced#
  33. Tortora /ˈtortora/ Dove grey B2Advanced#
  34. Amaranto /amaˈranto/ Amaranth B2Advanced#
  35. Rosso cadmio /ˈrosso ˈkadmjo/ il Cadmium red C1Advanced#
  36. Giallo cadmio /ˈdʒallo ˈkadmjo/ il Cadmium yellow C1Advanced#
  37. Oro /ˈɔro/ Gold A2Elementary#
  38. Argento /arˈdʒɛnto/ Silver A2Elementary#
  39. Lilla /ˈlilla/ Lilac B1Elementary#
  40. Cioccolato /tʃokkoˈlato/ Chocolate B1Elementary#
  41. Zafferano /dzaffeˈrano/ Saffron B2Advanced#
  42. Topazio /toˈpattsjo/ Topaz C1Advanced#
  43. Ecru /eˈkru/ Ecru B2Advanced#
  44. Indaco profondo /ˈindako proˈfondo/ l' Deep indigo B2Advanced#
  45. Blu pavone /ˈblu paˈvone/ Peacock blue C1Advanced#
  46. Verde palude /ˈverde paˈlude/ Swamp green B2Advanced#
  47. Porpora imperiale /ˈporpora impeˈrjale/ la Imperial purple C1Advanced#
  48. Porpora /ˈporpora/ Purple B2Intermediate#
  49. Indaco /ˈindako/ l' Indigo B2Intermediate#
  50. Borgogna /borˈɡoɲɲa/ Burgundy B2Intermediate#
  51. Ciano /ˈtʃano/ il Cyan B2Intermediate#
  52. Magenta /maˈdʒɛnta/ il Magenta B2Intermediate#
  53. Pistacchio /pisˈtakkjo/ Pistachio B1Intermediate#
  54. Castagna /kaˈstaɲɲa/ Chestnut B2Intermediate#
  55. Bronzo /ˈbrondzo/ Bronze B1Intermediate#
  56. Cobalto /koˈbalto/ Cobalt B2Intermediate#
  57. Petrolio /peˈtrɔljo/ Teal B2Intermediate#
  58. Guscio d'uovo /ˈɡuʃʃo ˈdwɔvo/ il Eggshell C1Intermediate#
  59. Rosso mattone /ˈrosso matˈtone/ Brick red B1Intermediate#
  60. Blu petrolio /ˈblu peˈtrɔljo/ Petrol blue B2Intermediate#
  61. Verde salvia /ˈverde ˈsalvja/ Sage green B2Intermediate#
  62. Verde petrolio /ˈverde peˈtrɔljo/ Petrol green B2Intermediate#
  63. Mandarino /mandaˈrino/ Tangerine B2Intermediate#
  64. Rubino /ruˈbino/ Ruby B2Intermediate#

Rules to remember

  • Rosso and Nero change their final -o to -a in the feminine singular, -i in the masculine plural, and -e in the feminine plural.
  • Verde has the same singular form for both genders; its plural ending is -i.
  • Blu, Rosa and Viola do not change for gender or number when used as color adjectives.

More topics

This topic in other languages