Colors in Spanish
The colors in Spanish are rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), naranja (orange), violeta (purple), rosa (pink), marrón (brown), negro (black), blanco (white), and gris (gray), plus celeste (sky blue), which gets its own word in Spanish.
Below you’ll find the full chart with pronunciation, a note on the one sound that trips up English speakers, and the tiny game we play to make them stick, plus a free printable chart for your kitchen wall.
The twelve colors, with pronunciation
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| rojo | RRO-ho | red |
| azul | ah-SOOL | blue |
| amarillo | ah-ma-REE-yo | yellow |
| verde | VER-de | green |
| naranja | na-RAN-ha | orange |
| violeta | vee-o-LE-ta | purple |
| rosa | RRO-sa | pink |
| marrón | ma-RRON | brown |
| negro | NE-gro | black |
| blanco | BLAN-ko | white |
| gris | GREES | gray |
| celeste | se-LES-te | sky blue |
Read the chart once with your child, pointing at real objects around the room. Colors are the friendliest first vocabulary because they are everywhere: a red crayon, a blue cup, the green grass out the window.
The ll in amarillo
In Spanish the ll sounds like the y in “yes,” so amarillo comes out ah-ma-REE-yo. English speakers often want to say an l there. Say it slowly once together, then let the word roll.
celeste is its own color
Sky blue has its own everyday word in Spanish, apart from azul. It’s the color of a clear sky, so celeste shows up all through our stories. Teach it alongside azul from the start.
Endings that agree
Some colors change endings to match the noun: un carro rojo, una casa roja. Don’t drill this. Just say it naturally and let your child’s ear do the work.
Where the colors live in your day
You don’t schedule colors. You notice them out loud. Three moments already built into your day carry all twelve words, no lesson plan required.
The crayon box
Name each crayon as it comes out: rojo, azul, amarillo. Coloring time is a color lesson that already happens.
Getting dressed
One color per piece of clothing: la camiseta roja, los calcetines azules. Mornings give you a free round every single day.
The sky on a walk
Look up and name it: el cielo celeste. This is where celeste earns its place, and where your child hears it in the wild.
How we practice them at home: Veo, veo
You don’t need a worksheet for colors. You need one small game, played in the moments you’re already stuck together: the car, the checkout line, the walk. It’s the Spanish version of I Spy, and it goes like this:
—Veo, veo…
—¿Qué ves?
—¡Algo de color rojo!
(“I spy, I spy… What do you see? Something red!”) Then everyone hunts for the red thing. Swap in a new color each round: algo de color azul, algo de color amarillo. One round per car ride or errand is plenty. The colors stop being vocabulary and start being a thing you do together.
- 1
Print the chart and keep it where you get dressed. Visibility beats discipline.
- 2
Play one round of Veo, veo per outing. Same game, new color. Repetition is the curriculum.
- 3
Name colors while dressing and coloring. La camiseta roja. El crayón azul.
- 4
Let your child start the game. When they say Veo, veo first, the color is theirs for good.
When you want something on paper for a rainy day, the same colors turn up in our free Spanish word search, Spanish bingo and printable flashcards. Use them as review after the game, not instead of it.
Get the free printable chart
One beautiful page: all twelve colors with pronunciation, the ll note, and the Veo, veo game. Print it, tape it up, and the colors teach themselves.
Download the Chart (Free PDF)Everything for this unit
Everything for colors in one place
- ChartThe colors chartAll 12 colors on one page with pronunciation, for the wall.
- WorksheetsColors worksheets5 free sheets: trace, match, label and fill in, one PDF each.
- Coloring pagesColors12 free sheets to print and color, one PDF each.
- Coloring pagesColor by number6 free sheets to print and color, one PDF each.
- StoryManuel tiene un perroA 10-page printable story with Manuel and Lola.
Questions parents ask
What are all the colors in Spanish?
rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), naranja (orange), violeta (purple), rosa (pink), marrón (brown), negro (black), blanco (white), gris (gray), and celeste (sky blue). That last one gets its own everyday word in Spanish, which surprises a lot of English speakers.
How do you say the colors in Spanish?
rojo (RRO-ho), azul (ah-SOOL), amarillo (ah-ma-REE-yo), verde (VER-de), naranja (na-RAN-ha), violeta (vee-o-LE-ta), rosa (RRO-sa), marrón (ma-RRON), negro (NE-gro), blanco (BLAN-ko), gris (GREES), celeste (se-LES-te). The ll in amarillo sounds like the y in yes, so it comes out ah-ma-REE-yo.
Why does the chart list celeste?
Because sky blue has its own everyday word in Spanish, separate from azul. It's the color of a clear sky, so it turns up constantly in our stories. A child who learns only azul is missing a color they'll hear all the time.
Do colors change endings in Spanish?
Some do, to match the noun: un carro rojo, una casa roja. Please don't drill this with a young child. Just say it correctly out loud and let their ear absorb the pattern. The agreement sorts itself out through hearing it, not through worksheets.
What's the easiest way to teach a child colors in Spanish?
Play Veo, veo (the Spanish version of I Spy) and name colors while getting dressed. One round of Veo, veo per car ride or errand, and one color named per piece of clothing in the morning, teaches more than any flashcard deck. Colors are everywhere, which is exactly why they're the easiest vocabulary to make part of the day.
Where the colors show up next
A chart teaches recognition; a story makes the words stick. Our free Manuel y Lola starter story puts colors and other first words inside a tale your child will ask to hear again. That’s the whole trick.
Chart Nº 1: Days of the Week
Lunes to domingo with pronunciation, the lowercase rule, and the breakfast question.
Get the Free Starter Story Pack
A short printable Manuel y Lola story with a parent guide in English.
Chart Nº 6: Family
Mamá, papá, abuela and the rest, with the everyday words families really use.