Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Colours
Every colour you'll want in Greek, from κόκκινο red to μωβ purple, with the masculine, feminine, and neuter forms so you can describe anything. Read at a glance, hear the sounds, and print the table for the fridge.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary and everyday colours | |||
| κόκκινος / κόκκινη / κόκκινο | red | ||
| μπλε | blueone form for all genders | ||
| γαλάζιος / γαλάζια / γαλάζιο | light bluethe colour of the Greek flag | ||
| πράσινος / πράσινη / πράσινο | green | ||
| κίτρινος / κίτρινη / κίτρινο | yellow | ||
| πορτοκαλί | orangeone form for all genders | ||
| μωβ | purpleone form for all genders | ||
| ροζ | pinkone form for all genders | ||
| καφέ | brownsame word as coffee | ||
| Black, white, and grey | |||
| μαύρος / μαύρη / μαύρο | black | ||
| άσπρος / άσπρη / άσπρο | white | ||
| λευκός / λευκή / λευκό | white (formal) | ||
| γκρι | greyone form for all genders | ||
| Metallics and softer tones | |||
| χρυσός / χρυσή / χρυσό | gold | ||
| ασημί | silverone form for all genders | ||
| μπεζ | beige | ||
| τιρκουάζ | turquoise | ||
| Modifiers (dark and light) | |||
| σκούρος / σκούρη / σκούρο | dark (as in dark blue) | ||
| ανοιχτός / ανοιχτή / ανοιχτό | light (as in light blue) | ||
Colours agree with the noun
Most Greek colours are adjectives, which means they change ending to match the gender of the noun they describe. Take κόκκινος (red):
- ένας κόκκινος καφές, a red coffee (masculine)
- μία κόκκινη πόρτα, a red door (feminine)
- ένα κόκκινο μήλο, a red apple (neuter)
The pattern is the same for πράσινος (green), κίτρινος (yellow), μαύρος (black), άσπρος (white), and most others with an -ος ending. Once you have this pattern, all of them fall into line.
The colours that never change
A handful of colours borrowed from French, Turkish, or older Greek stay the same regardless of the noun. These are easier because you never have to think about gender:
- μπλε (ble), blue
- ροζ (roz), pink
- μωβ (mov), purple
- γκρι (gri), grey
- μπεζ (bez), beige
- πορτοκαλί (portokalí), orange
- καφέ (kafé), brown
- ασημί (asimí), silver
So Yusuf can say ένα μπλε αυτοκίνητο (a blue car) or μία μπλε πόρτα (a blue door) without changing the colour word at all. Handy when you're starting out.
Light and dark shades
To make a colour lighter or darker, add ανοιχτό (light) or σκούρο (dark) in front:
- ανοιχτό μπλε, light blue
- σκούρο μπλε, dark blue
- ανοιχτό πράσινο, light green
- σκούρο κόκκινο, dark red
Greek also has a dedicated word for the pale sky-blue on the Greek flag: γαλάζιο (galázio). It's different enough from μπλε that most Greeks would call the sea γαλάζια rather than μπλε.
Two words for white (and when to use each)
Greek has two common words for white:
- άσπρος / άσπρη / άσπρο (áspros), the everyday word
- λευκός / λευκή / λευκό (lefkós), the formal or literary word
In conversation, at the market, and around the house, use άσπρο. In writing, on packaging, on wine labels, and in phrases like Λευκός Οίκος (the White House), you'll see λευκό. Both are correct, they just live in different registers.
Using colours in real sentences
A few ready-made phrases to try out:
- Το αγαπημένο μου χρώμα είναι το μπλε. My favourite colour is blue.
- Τι χρώμα είναι; What colour is it?
- Έχεις κάτι σε πράσινο; Do you have anything in green?
- Μου αρέσει το κόκκινο. I like red.
Notice χρώμα (hróma), the Greek word for colour, gives us the English 'chrome' and 'chromatic'. Aisha spotted the link immediately and it stuck first time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say colour in Greek?+
Χρώμα (hróma). The plural is χρώματα (hrómata). It's the root of the English words chrome, chromatic, and monochrome, so once you see the link the word tends to stick.
Do Greek colours change with the noun?+
Most of them do. Colours ending in -ος (κόκκινος, πράσινος, κίτρινος, μαύρος, άσπρος) change to -ος, -η, or -ο depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. A handful of borrowed colours (μπλε, ροζ, μωβ, γκρι, μπεζ, πορτοκαλί, καφέ) stay the same for every noun.
What's the difference between μπλε and γαλάζιο?+
Μπλε (ble) is a standard blue, the colour of a blue car or a blue shirt. Γαλάζιο (galázio) is the pale sky-blue you see on the Greek flag and in the shallow Aegean. Both are common. Native speakers switch between them depending on the shade.
Why are there two words for white in Greek?+
Άσπρο is the everyday word, used in conversation and at home. Λευκό is the formal or literary word, used in writing, on packaging, and in fixed phrases like Λευκός Οίκος (the White House). Both mean white, they just sit at different levels of formality.
How do you say light blue or dark blue in Greek?+
Add ανοιχτό (light) or σκούρο (dark) before the colour. So ανοιχτό μπλε is light blue and σκούρο μπλε is dark blue. The same modifiers work for any colour: ανοιχτό πράσινο (light green), σκούρο κόκκινο (dark red), and so on.
Practise this in the app
Practise colours in the app
Short quizzes on colour vocabulary, gender agreement drills, and audio for every shade.
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