Learning Portuguese

red	vermelho/a (vermelho = masculine, vermelha = feminine)
blue	azul/azuis (azul = singular, azuis = plural)
yellow	amarelo/a
green	verde
orange	cor-de-laranja; laranja (lit. colour of orange [that is, the fruit])
purple	roxo/a; púrpura;
pink	cor-de-rosa; rosa (lit. colour of rose)
brown	castanho/a ('marrom' in Brazil)
black	preto/a
white	branco/a
grey	cinzento/a (lit. ashen - 'cinza' (ash) in Brazil)
beige	bege
crimson	carmesim; purpúreo/a

light	claro/a
dark	escuro/a

light blue	azul-claro/a
dark green	verde-escuro/a

Comments

Another word for 'black'
Written by Miguel Sousa on 2007-02-11 08:43:40 IP: 75.61.64.40

Hi Russell,

Congratulations for this great website. The word 'negro/a' can also be used to refer to the colour 'black'.

Written by Ricardo Castro on 2007-05-05 19:19:05 IP: 85.240.84.145

I'm not sure because it's not a word I use often, but I would translate "crimson" as púrpura or púrpuro instead of purpúrea or purpúreo.

Thanks A Million ...BJS....BERMUDA
Written by Beverley on 2007-05-25 09:14:00 IP: 206.188.132.185

Muito obrigada, on such a great website. I have learnt a lot in the last hour.

Colors
Written by Marisa on 2009-07-04 16:20:08 IP: 89.152.105.138

In European portuguese, there are only two colors that don't have a plural form: laranja/cor-de-laranja and rosa/cor-de-rosa.

We say:
"Os livros são laranja" ("The books are orange") but never "Os livros são laranjas", but we say "Os livros são vermelhos" ("The books are red").

However, the words "laranjas" and "rosas" do exist, but they mean "oranges" (fruit) and "roses" (flower).

The word "red" can also be translated to "encarnado/a".

Púrpura
Written by Marisa on 2009-07-04 16:22:06 IP: 89.152.105.138

One thing I forgot to say: the words purpúrea and purpúreo do exist, however it is more common to use púrpura. I never heard the word púrpuro before.

Brown and red...
Written by Marcel on 2011-06-13 23:14:39 IP: 83.163.1.199

With respect to the colour brown... Portuguese make a distinction in denoting brown when talking about skin colour and "all" other cases. When someone has brown skin, they use "moreno" instead of castanho (don't ask me why!).
Another noticable distinction is when English refer to an older person having "grey hair", the Portuguese look at the same person as having white hair, "cabelo branco".
For red, the Portuguese have two words: vermelho and encarnado. A native Portuguese has to explain the difference, since my dictionaries describe both as red (and in both make reference to the colour of blood).

Red colour
Written by Michael on 2011-10-10 12:03:26 IP: 2.103.32.86

http://www.priberam.pt/dlpo/default.aspx?pal=encarnado
pribersam dictionary od Poertuguese language explains encarnado
adj.
1. De cor de carne.
2. Vermelho como carne viva

and for vermelho
Que tem a cor do sangue vivo (ex.: tinta vermelha). = ENCARNADO, ESCARLATE, RUBRO
so both colours represent blood red. I like the synonyms too.

rubro
adj.
adj.
adj.
Vermelho vivo, cor de sangue, de fogo.
Regards, Michael

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