Colors in Spanish (pt. 2) – Lesson 42

Colors in Spanish: part 2

In part 1 we learned the basic colors. Today we build on that: hair colors, light and dark shades, and some useful sentences about colors.

Hair colors

For hair, Spanish has its own color words. Brown hair isn’t pelo marrón, it’s pelo castaño (like my hair). Blonde is rubio. In Spain, you’ll also hear moreno for someone with dark hair.

For red or ginger hair, you can say pelo rojo. But more often, people describe the person: es pelirrojo / es pelirroja (he / she is a redhead). Same with blonde: es rubio, es rubia.

Notice: Spanish says “I have the hair brown”: tengo el pelo castaño. That el is normal in Spanish.

Light and dark

Just put claro (light) or oscuro (dark) after the color. Literally “blue light” and “red dark”. In Spanish the describing word almost always comes after.

Asking about colors

Let’s break it down: de (of) + qué (what) + color + es (is) + tu (your) + camiseta (t-shirt). Literally “of what color is your t-shirt?” Notice tu without a tilde = your, and tú with a tilde = you (remember lesson 27?).

Someone might answer:

Camiseta is feminine, so it’s blanca, not blanco. But naranja stays the same, because it doesn’t end in -o. Remember the rule from part 1?

Your favorite color

Two things to notice. First: it’s mi color favorito, not mi favorito color: favorito also comes after the noun. Second: Spanish adds el before the color, because you’re talking about the color as a thing: “my favorite color is the light green”.

Recap: colors (part 2)

Spanish	English
el pelo	the hair
pelo castaño	brown hair
pelo rubio	blonde hair
pelo rojo / pelirrojo	red hair / red-haired
el tono	the shade
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■

+ 7 more words & phrases

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Practice: colors

Say it out loud first, then click to check.

1. Say “I have brown hair”.

Tengo el pelo castaño.

2. Say “She’s blonde”.

Ella es rubia.

3. How do you say “light blue”?

Azul claro.

4. How do you say “dark green”?

Verde oscuro.

5. Ask a friend what color their t-shirt is.

¿De qué color es tu camiseta?

6. Ask someone what their favorite color is.

¿Cuál es tu color favorito?

7. Answer: “My favorite color is dark red”.

Mi color favorito es el rojo oscuro.

Quiz: colors (part 2)

10 questions to finish the colors topic.

Frequently asked questions

Can I say “pelo marrón”?

People will understand you, but for hair, castaño sounds much more natural. Marrón is used for things, like a brown jacket: una chaqueta marrón.

What about black or gray hair?

Black hair is pelo negro, and gray hair is pelo gris or canoso. Gray hairs are called canas.

Before you go to the next lesson

That’s the end of the colors topic! Practice by describing the people and things around you: pelo castaño, camiseta azul oscuro… Grab the free reference sheet below. ¡Hasta la próxima!