How to Say the Names of Colors in German

Co-authored by Alexandra Hamer

Last Updated: December 23, 2024 Fact Checked

German is a growing language and one of the major languages of Europe. As you develop fluency in the language, color vocabulary is a must-have. Colors in every shade and hue permeate all aspects of life, and you'll soon find yourself reaching for the terms that seem so familiar in your mother tongue. Learn some simple words and constructs, and you'll soon have your German colors mastered!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting the Basics Down

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1
Learn some basic colors:^{[1]
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- Green = grün [ɡʁyːn] (pronunciation: groon)
- Brown = braun [bʁaʊ̯n] (brown)
- Yellow = gelb [ɡɛlp] (gelp)
- White = weiß [vaɪs] (vice)
- Gray = grau [ɡʁaʊ] (gr - ow, as in how)
- Blue = blau [blaʊ] (bl - ow, as in how)
- Orange = orange [oˈʁaŋʃ] (or-ahn-sh) has a nasal quality, pronunciation borrowed from French
- Black = schwarz [ʃvaʁt͡s] (shvarts)
- Beige = beige [beːʃ] (beesch)
- Red = rot [ʁoːt] (roat)
- Pink = rosa [ˈʁoːza](roza) this refers to a light, pale shade of pink
- Pink = pink [pɪŋk] (pink) this is a strong or hot pink
- Purple = lila [ˈliːla] (leela)
2
Note that there are a few adjectives you can describe colors (Farben). You can combine these adjectives with the colors into one word, to produce a form that - in English - means dark (color name).^{[2]
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- Light = hell [hɛl] (hell)
- Dark = dunkel [ˈdʊŋkəl] (doonkel)
- Colorful = bunt [bʊnt] (boont)

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Constructing Sentences

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1
Understand how to describe a color. Here, the color is a noun (a thing), and you are using an adjective to describe it. The adjective endings change according to certain rules. All colors are neuter nouns in German, so these rules work with all colors.
- For colors with an indefinite article (a/an), the adjective ending is -es. Ein schönes Blau means 'a beautiful blue.'
- For colors with a definite article (the), the adjective ending is -e. Das schöne Blau means 'the beautiful blue.'
- The rules for the endings change depending on which case the color noun is in, and when the color noun is plural. You can see these patterns in the Things You'll Need section. These endings work for color nouns in the nominative (the color is the subject) and accusative (the color is the direct object) cases.
2
Describe a color as pretty/beautiful. Use the adjective schön. To pronounce the ö-sound, say “ay” as in day. Then, tightly round your lips, while continuing to make this sound.
- Examples: ein schönes Rot (a beautiful red), das schöne Lila (the beautiful purple)^{[3]
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Use hässlich. The adjective hässlich may be used to describe a color as ugly.^{[4]
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- Examples: ein hässliches Grün (an ugly green), das hässliche Gelb (the ugly yellow)
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Use elegant. The adjective elegant is the same in both English and German.^{[5]
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- Examples: ein elegantes Blau (an elegant blue), das elegante Lila (the elegant purple)
5
Tell someone that a certain color (or colors) please you. When German speakers talk about something they like, they use a construction which translates to “… pleases me/pleases me not”.
- The simplest version of this construction is “Das gefällt mir”. (That pleases me/I like that.) To negate it, we add the word nicht at the end of the sentence. “Das gefällt mir nicht” (that pleases me not/that does not please me/I do not like that.)
- Say it like this: Dahss gə-fellt meer nisht [nıçt]
- You can replace “das” in the sentence with a color. “Blau gefällt mir” means “I like blue”.
- You can add “das“ back in to talk about a specific color. “Das Blau gefällt mir nicht” means “I do not like the/that blue”.
- Add more adjectives from previous steps to be even more specific.
- Example: “Ein schönes Dunkelgrün gefällt mir.” (I like a beautiful dark green.)
- Example: “Das hässliche Hellbraun gefällt mir nicht.” (I don’t like that ugly light brown.)
- The colors are capitalized in the above examples because they are being used as nouns. This is not always the case, so be careful and pay attention to your writing.
6
Introduce your favorite color name into a conversation. Say “Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist….” and then the German name of your favorite color.
- Pronounce it like this: Mine-ə Leeb-lingz-fah-bə ist….
- Example: If your favorite color is green, you’d say, “Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist grün.”
- You could also say “… ist meine Lieblingsfarbe."
7
Ask for someone's favorite color. Say “Was ist deine Lieblingsfarbe?” This means “What is your favorite color?” in English.
- Say it like this: Vas ist dine-ə leeb-lingz-fah-bə?
- The ə sound is pronounced “uh”, like the o in “position” or the e in “the”.
8
Ask for a color name. Say “Welche Farbe hat…?” Replace […] with the object about which you are inquiring and its proper article.
- This translates to “which color has…”. In German, we ask if things have a certain color rather than are a certain color.
- Say it like this: Vel-shə ['vɛlçǝ] Fah-bə hat….
- Example: “Welche Farbe hat der Tisch?” (Which color is the table?)
- Example: “Welche Farbe hat ihre Bluse?” (Which color is her blouse?)
- The object you're asking about (e.g. the table) is actually the subject of this sentence, as it is what the sentence is about (even though it is the second noun in the sentence).
- Therefore, follow the rules of the Nominativ (subject) case: Welche Farbe hat der Tisch/ein Tisch/er?.
9
Point out which color something is in German. Say “[object] ist [color].”Although asking which color something is uses the verb hat (conjugated form of haben, meaning to have), telling the color of something uses the verb ist (conjugated form of sein, meaning to be.)
- Example: Der Apfel ist gelb. (The apple is yellow.)
- Example: Der Pulli ist dunkelgrau. (The sweater is dark grey.)
- Example: Der Rock ist blau. (The skirt is blue.)
10
Add the correct ending to colors when used as adjectives before a noun. In German, adjectives (only adjectives directly before a noun) take endings based on the case, gender, and number (singular/plural) of the noun. Then, check if an article or determiner precedes the noun. Articles specify the noun, and determiners add detail. There are three "groups" of articles and determiners, each with separate sets of adjective endings attached. For a full list of these rules, see the Things You'll Need section. Here are some example sentences in different cases:^{[6]
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- Nominative: Die grüne Wiese ist schön - the green meadow is beautiful. Der blaue Himmel ist schön - the blue sky is beautiful.
- Accusative: Ich sehe die braune, freundliche Katze - I see the brown, friendly cat. Ich suche nach einem alten, blauen Buch - I am looking for an old blue book.
- Dative: Ich gebe dem schwarzen Hund Wasser - I give water to the black dog. Ich helfe mit dem schweren, blauen Koffer - I help with the heavy, blue suitcase.
- Genitive: Der Geschmack des alten, roten Weins ist ausgezeichnet - the taste of the old red wine is excellent. Der Klang des alten, goldenen Instruments ist faszinierend - the sound of the old golden instrument is fascinating.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Learning Expressions Involving Colors

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1
Learn some German expressions involving the color green:.
- Das ist dasselbe in Grün (that's the same thing in green) - used to say that two things are virtually the same and any differences don't matter (like the English phrase "same difference")
- Ach du grüne Neune (oh you green nine) - good grief; used to express surprise or shock
- Über den grünen Klee loben (to praise over the green clover) - to praise excessively
- Jemandem nicht grün sein (to not be green with someone) - to dislike someone
- Sich grün und blau ärgern (to get angry with green and blue) - to be extremely angry
- Auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen (not come to any green branch) - to "get nowhere"; having no luck or success in a situation or in life^{[7]
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- Grünes Licht geben (to give the green light) - to give the go-ahead
- Alles im grünen Bereich (everything in the green area) - everything is fine
- Grün hinter den Ohren (green behind the ears) - naïve; inexperienced
2
Add these German phrases with the color blue to your vocabulary:
- Blau sein (to be blue) - to be drunk
- Blaumachen (to make blue) - to skip school or work (similar to "bunk off" or "play hooky")
- Ins Blaue (into the blue) - with no particular plan or goal; at random ^{[8]
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- Das Blaue vom Himmel versprechen (to promise the blue of the sky) - to make unfulfillable promises
- Das Blaue vom Himmel (herunter)lügen (to lie the blue down from the sky) - to lie brazenly and boldly^{[9]
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- Ein blaues Wunder erleben - to be in for a nasty surprise
3
Learn some German color idioms with black:
- Schwarzfahren - to travel without a ticket
- Schwarzarbeiten - to work illicitly/engage in undeclared work, e.g., to avoid paying taxes and social security contributions^{[10]
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- Etwas schwarz auf weiß haben (to have something in black and white) - to have something in writing or print, implying the information is more reliable than in spoken form^{[11]
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- Ins Schwarze treffen - to hit the bullseye; to do something exactly right, i.e. to hit the nail on the head^{[12]
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Take note of some German idioms involving gray and white:
- In grauer Vorzeit/Ferne - in the very distant past/future^{[13]
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- Graue Maus (gray mouse) - someone who is plain, quiet, and doesn't stand out; a wallflower
- Grauer Alltag (gray everyday) - mundane, everyday routines; the "daily grind"
- Alles grau in grau malen (to paint everything gray in gray) - to be pessimistic
- Das ist graue Theorie (that's gray theory) - theory that is far from being relevant in an everyday sense; unproven^{[14]
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- Jemanden bis zum Weißbluten ausbeuten (to bleed somebody white) - to take all of someone's money or resources, i.e. to bleed somebody dry^{[15]
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- Weißer Rabe (white raven) - something very rare or one of a kind^{[16]
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- Eine weiße Weste haben (to have a white vest) - to be innocent; to have a clear conscience
5
Learn some phrases with yellow and red:
- Nicht das Gelbe vom Ei (not the egg yolk; literally: not the yellow of the egg) - something's not exactly brilliant or not as good as you want it to be
- Gelb vor Neid (yellow with envy) - to be jealous
- Der rote Faden (the red thread) - the central theme
- Rot sehen (to see red) - to be very angry
- In den roten Zahlen sein (to be in the red numbers) - to make a financial loss or to be in debt^{[17]
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- Durch eine rosarote Brille sehen (to see through rosy glasses) - to take an overly optimistic view of something
6
Learn some expressions with silver and gold:
- Freiheit geht über Silber und Gold - freedom is more important than silver and gold ^{[18]
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- Nicht mit Gold zu bezahlen/aufzuwiegen sein - to be worth your weight in gold; very valuable^{[19]
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- Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold (talking is silver, silence is gold) - sometimes it's better to stay silent than to talk excessively or at inappropriate times
- Ein Herz aus Gold - a heart of gold; a kind person
- Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt - all that glitters is not gold; things that look attractive at first glance may not turn out to be so
- Treu wie Gold (loyal like gold) - very loyal and dependable ^{[20]
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What is the word for the color cream?

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You can say "cremefarben."

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How are combination colors like "blue-grey" named in German?

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There is blaugrau ("blue-grey") and schwarzweiß ("black-white"). These are mostly used for mixtures of colors or referring to patterns. But if you talk about separate colors I would recommend just putting und ("and") between - it's much easier! Like Es ist grau und blau ("It is grey and blue").

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How do I say "thank you" in German?

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Thank you in German is "danke" or a more formal version is "danke schön" which means thank you beautiful or thank you handsome.

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Tips

Pronunciation quick list:
- ß is a double s (ss)
- ä - Make a sound like the "e" in "bet".
- ö - Make a sound like the "i" in "bird".
- ü - Make the sound "ee" as in the English word "see" while pursing your lips as if you were whistling, almost closing them completely. Keep your tongue in the same position as when saying "ee", but change the shape of your mouth as if you were saying "oo".^{[21]
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You can also use multiple adjectives in addition to color to describe a noun.
- For example, "Der kleine, braune Hund spielt im Garten" - the small, brown dog plays in the garden.
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The ß is the German equivalent to -ss, but it is only used after long vowel sounds and therefore is never the initial letter of a word.

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Things You'll Need

When using colors as adjectives before a noun, you need to add the appropriate ending. Find the type of article or determiner (if any) that precedes the noun, to determine which declension to look under. Then, find the case, gender, and number of the noun you're describing, to find the ending to add to the color adjective.

Adjective Endings
	Weak Declension			Mixed Declension				Strong Declension
	• Definite articles (the) • Demonstrative determiners (dieser, jener, welcher [this, that, which] etc.) • Other determiners (solcher, jeder, mancher [such, every, some] etc.)			• Indefinite articles (a/an) • Kein (no/not a) • Possessive pronouns				• No article or determiner • Quantifiers (einige, viele [some, many] etc.)
	m	f/n	pl	m	f	n	pl	m	f	n	pl
Nominativ	-e	-e	-en	-er	-e	-es	-en	-er	-e	-es	-e
Akkusativ	-en	-e	-en	-en	-e	-es	-en	-en	-e	-es	-e
Dativ	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-em	-er	-em	-en
Genitiv	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-en	-er	-en	-er