Violets are "blau", roses are "rot". If you learn the German colors, you can become a skilled speaker, too. Learning colors in German can be an experience of turning over a new leaf. However, if you think colors are pronounced the same as in the English language, then you are in a big dilemma. Thus, our blog will help you to come out of this puzzle. So read our blog to explore different types of color names in German, along with idioms related to color used in the German language. So, let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Colors are common, but the pronunciation and Colors' names in German are different. The primary level of learning German is to understand the basic words and phrases, and for that, learning Colors in the German language is the best option.
However, learning them is not an easy task, but it can be mastered if you do enough practice to pronounce them. Therefore, in this section, we have shared common color names in German and English languages, along with the example. So have a look at this table.
| German Color | English Translation |
|---|---|
| blau | blue |
| rot | red |
| gelb | yellow |
| grau | grey |
| grün | green |
| rosa | pink |
| fliederfarben | lilac |
| karmesinrot | crimson |
| braun | brown |
| kupfer | copper |
| lila | purple |
| pfirsichfarben | peach |
| platinfarben | platinum |
| purpur | purple |
| efelbein | ivory |
| zinnoberrot | vermillion |
| schwarz | black |
| türkis | turquoise |
| umbra | umber |
| weiß | white |
These are 21 common colors in German language that you must know how to pronounce. Now, in the next section, navigate some unique German color names that you must be familiar with.
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If you get bored of learning common colors and need some specificity in your tone, then try out speaking these unique color names in German. In addition, for special color names, German borrows or copies the name of English-stated colors. Thus, in this section, we will explore some unique and vibrant color names.
| German Color | English Translation |
|---|---|
| aprikosenorange | apricot orange |
| aschgrau | ash gray |
| blutrot | blood red |
| dschungelgrün | jungle green |
| eichefarben | oak brown |
| eierschalenweiß | eggshell white |
| erbsengrün | pea green |
| himmelblau | sky blue |
| korallenrot | coral red |
| mandelbraun | almond brown |
| maronenbraun | chestnut brown |
| minzgrün | mint green |
| olivgrün | olive green |
| opalblau | opal blue |
| pflaummenlila | plum purple |
| rostrot | rust red |
| rubinrot | ruby red |
| safrangelb | saffron yellow |
| schiefergrau | slate grey |
| smaragdgrün | emerald green |
| zitronengelb | lemon yellow |
These are some of the unique colors in German that you can try to speak out and use while purchasing anything of that color while roaming in the German states.
Did you know
Have you ever wondered what the German Flag Colors symbolize? Its black, red, and gold color denotes to
Black: exemplifies struggle against freedom or the darkness of slavery
Red: It signifies the sacrifices and blood of those who fought for the nation.
Gold: Indicates the hope for a better future and the light of freedom.
Germans can combine any colors and invent new shades as well as their names. Thus, using some exclusive German color names can help you to learn this language more effectively. So, here are some of the funny names of Colors in German. Have a look.
schneeweiß – snow-white, white as snow
perlweiß – pearl white
weinrot – wine-red
blutrot – blood-red, crimson
ziegelrot – brick-red
himmelblau – sky blue
königsblau – royal blue
gelblich-grün – yellowish green
waldgrün – forest green
schokoladenbraun – chocolate-brown
Hope you might be amazed and laugh aloud after reading these quirky Colors in German. However, did you know that German has given a color name according to gender and case? Yes, explore them in the next section.
Also read - Months in German
Till now, we have covered the colors in German, but do you know that in German, most of the color names change according to the different nouns? Yes, for instance, in English, the color named blue will be the same no matter what the object is. In German, just like other adjectives, there are German color objectives. It changes the ending based on the number, gender, and usage of nouns. So, have a look at the table to explore more about this.
| Case | Masculine (der rote Apfel) | Feminine (die rote Blume) | Neuter (das rote Haus) | Plural (die roten Äpfel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -e (rote) | -e (rote) | -e (rote) | -en (roten) |
| Accusative | -en (roten) | -e (rote) | -e (rote) | -en (roten) |
| Dative | -en (roten) | -en (roten) | -en (roten) | -en (roten) |
| Genitive | -en (roten) | -en (roten) | -en (roten) | -en (roten) |
It could be challenging to understand this concept of Colors in German. But the example mentioned below can help you to use this method properly.
| Color | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rot | roter | rote | rotes | rote |
| Blau | blauer | blaue | blaues | blaue |
| Grün | grüner | grüne | grünes | grüne |
| Gelb | gelber | gelbe | gelbes | gelbe |
| Schwarz | schwarzer | schwarze | schwarzes | schwarze |
| Weiß | weißer | weiße | weißes | weiße |
This example will help you to understand how to use the right color name according to the noun. Now, in the upcoming section, you will explore the types of German colors. So, let’s move ahead.
Also read - Alphabets in German
Expressing the correct shades of colors in German can be difficult. In English, we can say light blue and dark brown, but how do we describe these in German? Thus, here is the explanation of colors in German.
These are the shades of colors in German that can help you to describe the colors according to their shade. Now, in the next section, you will explore the meaning of every German color along with the idioms created by using them. So, let’s have a look.
German people are very creative and can create many phrases or idioms by using any topic; just like that, they have created a few idioms by using colors in German. Therefore, these idioms can help you to learn the German colors in a fun way. Thus, here are some of the idioms on colors in German language
| Color Idioms | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| einen roten Faden haben.” | to have a red thread | Central theme |
| nicht das Gelbe vom Ei sein | to not be the yellow (the yolk) of the egg. | something is not the best. |
| gelb vor Neid werden | to become yellow with envy | to go green with envy. |
| dasselbe in Grün. | same thing in green | same difference |
| grün hinter den Ohren | green behind the ears. | inexperienced or half-baked |
| Blau sein | to be blue | drunk. |
| schwarzfahren | to travel black | using public transportation without a valid ticket. |
| schwarzarbeiten | working black | working under the table or doing illegal work. |
| Durch eine rosarote Brille sehen | to see through rosy glasses | seeing the pleasant aspects of a situation |
In conclusion, learning German colors is important for students who want to become skillful in this language. It could be an uphill battle in the beginning, but by the time you will get familiar with them. It is the basic step to learn German. Moreover, this color palate has different shades, some of which have unique names, and also native people have created idioms on the same. It can help you to use these color names in daily life. Moreover, if you want to learn more variants, then you can enroll in the German Coaching Online at Gradding. They will help you to become a professional German speaker.
Main Reasons Why you should Study in Germany
In German, colors are translated into “Farbe”. Different color name pronunciations are different in the German language, but sounds similar to the English words.
The German word for colors is Farben, and common colors in German are called like this
Germans don’t have any lucky colors like other cultures, just like China have red colors. However, German people say "Schwein haben" (to have a pig) as it is the type of expression to highlight being the luckiest or fortunate.
Black, red, and gold are the German flag colors that denote freedom, unity, and the pursuit of a united German state. Thus, the color represents a pathway from slavery (black) to the bloody battles (red) to the light of freedom (gold).
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