Colour words in German
Words for colours in German with notes and colour-related expressions.
schwarz - black
Shades / expressions
pechschwarz - pitch black
kohlrabenschwarz - black as a raven
Schwarzfahrer - black rider, i.e. someone who rides a bus or train without a ticket, like a stowaway
Schwarzseher - black-looker, i.e. a pessimist
schwarzmalen - painting in black - expressing a pessimistic outlook
sich schwarzärgern - to turn black with anger, i.e. being very angry - especially about something you can't change
Da kannst du warten, bis du schwarz wirst - You can wait until you turn black (hell freezes over)
weiß - white
Shades / expressions
schneeweiß - white as snow
eierschalenfarben - egg shell coloured = off-white, slightly brownish tinged white
rot - red
Shades / expressions
blutrot - blood red
weinrot - wine red, burgundy
Morgenrot / Abendrot - morning red / evening red - reddish glow in the sky at dawn / twilight
rot werden - to become red - to blush
rotsehen - to see red - to be furious
Rotlauf - red run - erysipelas, an infection of the skin
gelb - yellow
Shades / expressions
goldgelb - golden yellow
zitronengelb - lemon yellow
blau - blue
Shades / expressions
himmelblau - sky blue
Blaues Auge - blue eye - black eye, shiner, periorbital hematoma
Blauer Fleck - blue spot - hematoma
Blaues Blut - blue blood - nobility
jemanden grün und blau schlagen - to beat somebody green and blue - to beat somebody up pretty badly
blau sein - to be drunk
türkis - turquoise
graublau - grey-blue = greyish blue, periwinkle
blaumachen - making/doing blue, i. e. skipping work
blauäugig sein - to be blue-eyed, i.e. to be naïve
grün - green
Shades / expressions
giftgrün - toxic green - bright green with a bluish tinge; the name derives from the toxic pigment Paris Green
grasgrün - grassy green
gelbgrün - yellow green, chartreuse
Grüner Star - green "Star" [1] - glaucoma
Grünspan - green shaving - copper acetate
jemanden grün und blau schlagen - to beat somebody green and blue - to beat somebody up pretty badly
braun - brown
Shades / expressions
beige - beige - light yellowish brown
ocker - ochre - yellowish brown
rehbraun - deer brown
schokoladebraun - chocolate brown
schwarzbraun - black-brown - dark brown
bräunen - browning - tanning
rosa - pink
pink - bright, intense pink / hot pink / shocking pink
Shades / expressions
altrosa - old pink - darker, slighly greyish pink
durch die rosa Brille schauen - looking through pink glasses - having an optimistic outlook, seeing only the good side
orange - orange
grau - grey
Shades / expressions
silbergrau - silver grey
Grauzone - grey zone - an undefined area; e.g. legal loopholes, moral ambiguosness
Grauer Star - grey "Star" [1] - cataract
taubengrau - pigeon grey = bluish or slightly purplish grey, taupe grey
mausgrau - mouse grey = brownish grey; the proverbial non-colour
lila / violett - purple, violet
violett = violet - the shade of violets
lila = lilac - the shade of lilac blossoms
[1] the word "star" in this context comes from medieval German and means the blank stare of a blind person
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