Colors (die Farben) in German are both fun and practical to learn. Whether you're shopping for clothes, describing something, or making small talk, you'll constantly need color words. And German color names are quite straightforward to pronounce.
Grammar note: When used as a predicate adjective (after the verb), colors usually have no ending: Das Auto ist rot. When used directly before a noun, they change according to the article: das rote Auto.
Basic Colors
Shades and Compound Colors
In German, you use the prefixes hell- (light) and dunkel- (dark) to express shades:
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hellblau | light blue | ein hellblaues Hemd (a light blue shirt) |
| dunkelblau | dark blue | eine dunkelblaue Jacke (a dark blue jacket) |
| hellgrün | light green | hellgrüne Augen (light green eyes) |
| dunkelrot | dark red | dunkelrote Lippen (dark red lips) |
| hellgrau | light grey | ein hellgraues Auto (a light grey car) |
| goldgelb | golden yellow | goldgelbes Haar (golden hair) |
Sentences with Colors
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Das Auto ist rot. | The car is red. |
| Ich trage ein blaues Hemd. | I am wearing a blue shirt. |
| Welche Farbe hat das Buch? | What color is the book? |
| Das Buch ist gelb. | The book is yellow. |
| Ihre Augen sind grün. | Her eyes are green. |
| Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist blau. | My favourite color is blue. |
| Der Himmel ist heute grau. | The sky is grey today. |
⚠️ Watch out: "orange" in German is invariable — it never takes an ending. ein orange Kleid is WRONG → use ein orangefarbenes Kleid (an orange-colored dress) or simply Das Kleid ist orange.
Asking About Colors
- Welche Farbe hat …? → What color is …?
- In welcher Farbe? → In what color?
- Haben Sie das in Rot? → Do you have this in red?
- Was ist Ihre Lieblingsfarbe? → What is your favourite color?
Test Yourself
What is this color called in German?
Red = rot ✓
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