Colors in Italian [with video and audio]

Learn to pronounce colors in Italian

Colors (i colori) are essential in daily conversations. Knowing them helps describe objects, express preferences, and communicate more effectively. In this lesson, we will learn the basic colors in Italian, their pronunciation, and how to use them in sentences.

Basic colors (Colori base)

Rosso – Red

Blu – Blue

Azzurro – Light blue

Giallo – Yellow

Verde – Green

Arancione – Orange

Viola – Purple

Rosa – Pink

Marrone – Brown

Bianco – White

Grigio – Gray

Nero – Black

Shades of colors (Sfumature di colori)

If you want to describe a color by its shade, you can use chiaro (light) or scuro (dark).

• Marrone chiaro – Light Brown
• Marrone scuro – Dark Brown

Other colors (altri colori)

Magenta – Magenta

Bordeaux – Bordeaux

Fucsia – Fuchsia

Turchese – Turquoise

Beige – Beige

Lavanda – Lavender

Corallo – Coral

Ciano – Cyan

Verde oliva – Olive Green

Verde acqua – Aquamarine

Rosa antico – Antique Pink

Giallo senape – Mustard Yellow

Verde smeraldo – Emerald Green

Blu zaffiro – Sapphire Blue

Rosso rubino – Ruby Red

Rosso corallo – Coral Red

Pesca – Peach

Celeste – Sky Blue

Bianco perla – Pearl White

Bronzo – Bronze

Argento – Silver

Oro – Gold

Verde petrolio – Teal

Using colors in sentences

La macchina è rossa – The car is red

La mia casa è bianca – My house is white

Mi piace il blu – I like blue

Il cane è nero – The dog is black

I fiori sono gialli – The flowers are yellow

Il cielo è azzurro – The sky is light blue

Ha comprato un vestito verde smeraldo – She bought an emerald green dress

I muri sono dipinti di rosa antico – The walls are painted antique pink

La sua giacca è verde petrolio – His jacket is teal

Grammar notes

1. Agreement with gender and number:
   • Some colors change depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe.
   • Example: “Rosso” becomes “Rossa” for feminine nouns (e.g., “Una macchina rossa”).
   • Colors ending in “-e” (e.g., verde, marrone) stay the same for both genders but change for plural (e.g., “verdi” for plural).
2. Invariable colors:
   • Some colors, like blu, rosa, magenta, fucsia, and viola, do not change with gender or number.
   • Example: “Un vestito fucsia” (A fuchsia dress), “Due magliette fucsia” (Two fuchsia shirts).

Practice exercises

1. Translate into Italian:
   • The sky is blue.
   • The apples are green.
   • The cat is white.
   • My bike is orange.
   • The shoes are black.
   • The ocean is turquoise.
   • The wall is magenta.
   • The dress is emerald green.
   • The sofa is beige.
   • The curtains are pearl white.
   • The car is teal.
2. Fill in the blanks with the correct color in Italian:
   • Il sole è _____. (The sun is yellow.)
   • Il latte è _____. (The milk is white.)
   • Il carbone è _____. (The coal is black.)
   • Il mare è _____. (The sea is light blue.)
   • Il fiore è _____. (The flower is fuchsia.)
   • Il vestito è _____. (The dress is ruby red.)
   • La sabbia è _____. (The sand is golden.)
   • La giacca è _____. (The jacket is teal.)

You can write your answers in the comments. I’ll check and correct them for you! ✅