The basic colours in Greek are άσπρο (white), μαύρο (black), κόκκινο (red), πράσινο (green), κίτρινο (yellow), μπλε (blue) and γαλάζιο (light blue). Most of them are ordinary adjectives that change their ending to match the noun, and a few are borrowed words that never change. In the transliteration the accent marks the stressed syllable, ch sounds like the German ach, d like the th in "this", and th like the th in "think".
| Masculine / feminine / neuter | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| άσπρος, άσπρη, άσπρο | áspros, áspri, áspro | white |
| μαύρος, μαύρη, μαύρο | mávros, mávri, mávro | black |
| κόκκινος, κόκκινη, κόκκινο | kókinos, kókini, kókino | red |
| πράσινος, πράσινη, πράσινο | prásinos, prásini, prásino | green |
| κίτρινος, κίτρινη, κίτρινο | kítrinos, kítrini, kítrino | yellow |
| γαλάζιος, γαλάζια, γαλάζιο | galázios, galázia, galázio | light blue, sky blue |
| γκρίζος, γκρίζα, γκρίζο | grízos, gríza, grízo | grey |
| χρυσός, χρυσή, χρυσό | chrisós, chrisí, chrisó | gold, golden |
| ασημένιος, ασημένια, ασημένιο | asiménios, asiménia, asiménio | silver |
The word for colour is το χρώμα (to chróma), plural τα χρώματα. To ask about a colour: Τι χρώμα είναι; (What colour is it?) Είναι κόκκινο. (It's red.) Ποιο είναι το αγαπημένο σου χρώμα; (What's your favourite colour?) In a dictionary, colours are listed in the masculine: κόκκινος. When you talk about a colour itself, use the neuter: το κόκκινο μου αρέσει (I like red).
Colours that never change: μπλε, καφέ, ροζ...
Many colours were borrowed from French, Italian or Turkish. They are indeclinable: the same form for every gender, number and case.
| Greek | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| μπλε | ble | blue |
| καφέ | kafé | brown (literally "coffee") |
| γκρι | gri | grey |
| ροζ | roz | pink |
| μωβ | mov | purple |
| πορτοκαλί | portokalí | orange |
| μπεζ | bez | beige |
| μπορντό | bordó | burgundy, wine red |
| τιρκουάζ | tirkuáz | turquoise |
| χακί | chakí | khaki |
So you say ένα μπλε φόρεμα (a blue dress), μια μπλε φούστα (a blue skirt) and δύο μπλε φούστες (two blue skirts): only the noun changes. The same goes for τα ροζ λουλούδια (the pink flowers) and ο γκρι ουρανός (the grey sky). Μωβ is also spelled μοβ. Γκρι and γκρίζος mean the same; γκρίζος is the declinable Greek word and is often used for hair: γκρίζα μαλλιά. Brown and orange also have declinable forms, καφετής, καφετιά, καφετί and πορτοκαλής, πορτοκαλιά, πορτοκαλί; see everyday adjectives. More nouns and adjectives like these are in indeclinable nouns.
How colour adjectives agree with the noun
A colour comes before the noun and takes the same gender, number and case. The endings are those of καλός, καλή, καλό, explained in adjectives: καλός -ή -ό. Here is κόκκινος in full:
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative singular | κόκκινος | κόκκινη | κόκκινο |
| Genitive singular | κόκκινου | κόκκινης | κόκκινου |
| Accusative singular | κόκκινο | κόκκινη | κόκκινο |
| Nominative plural | κόκκινοι | κόκκινες | κόκκινα |
| Genitive plural | κόκκινων | κόκκινων | κόκκινων |
| Accusative plural | κόκκινους | κόκκινες | κόκκινα |
- ο μαύρος σκύλος (the black dog), η μαύρη γάτα (the black cat), το μαύρο αυτοκίνητο (the black car).
- το κόκκινο κρασί (red wine), το άσπρο κρασί (white wine); also το λευκό κρασί, with the more formal λευκός, λευκή, λευκό.
- τα κίτρινα ταξί (the yellow taxis, typical of Athens); οι πράσινες ελιές (green olives).
- Γαλάζιος has -ια in the feminine: η γαλάζια θάλασσα (the blue sea), οι γαλάζιες πόρτες (the blue doors).
The full rules of agreement are in adjectives and agreement.
Μπλε or γαλάζιο? The many blues of Greek
Greek splits blue into several words, a little like Italian or Russian.
- μπλε (ble): blue in general, often a medium or deep blue. Σκούρο μπλε is navy.
- γαλάζιος (galázios): light blue, the colour of the sky and of a calm sea. Ο γαλάζιος ουρανός.
- γαλανός (galanós): blue in poetry and songs, and for eyes: γαλανά μάτια (blue eyes).
- θαλασσί (thalassí): sea blue, from θάλασσα (sea).
Light and dark colours: ανοιχτό and σκούρο
To say light or dark, put ανοιχτό (anichtó, literally "open") or σκούρο (skúro) before the colour: ανοιχτό πράσινο (light green), σκούρο μπλε (dark blue). Used before a noun, these words agree too: ένα ανοιχτό μπλε πουκάμισο (a light blue shirt), μια σκούρα καφέ τσάντα (a dark brown bag). Greek can also glue them to the colour: ανοιχτοπράσινος, σκουρόχρωμος (dark-coloured). The prefix κατα- makes a colour stronger: κατακόκκινος (bright red, bright red in the face), κατάμαυρος (jet black), κάτασπρος (snow white). See building words.
Colours as verbs
Several colours have a verb, which is very common in everyday speech:
- κοκκινίζω (kokinízo) = to turn red, to blush: κοκκίνισε από ντροπή (she blushed with embarrassment).
- μαυρίζω (mavrízo) = to get a tan: μαύρισες! (you got a tan!), heard all summer.
- ασπρίζω (asprízo) = to turn white: άσπρισαν τα μαλλιά του (his hair went white).
- κιτρινίζω (kitrinízo) = to turn yellow, or pale with fear.
Colours in Greek expressions
| Greek | Pronunciation | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| η γαλανόλευκη | i galanólefki | the blue-and-white | the Greek flag |
| έχω μαύρα μεσάνυχτα | écho mávra mesánichta | I have black midnight | I have no idea at all |
| θα δούμε άσπρη μέρα | tha dúme áspri méra | we will see a white day | better days will come |
| πράσινα άλογα | prásina áloga | green horses | nonsense, pie in the sky |
| τα βλέπω όλα μαύρα | ta vlépo óla mávra | I see everything black | I'm very pessimistic |
| κόκκινα αυγά | kókina avgá | red eggs | the dyed eggs of Greek Easter |
| μαύρη αγορά | mávri agorá | black market | black market |
The Greek flag is called η γαλανόλευκη, from γαλανός (blue) and λευκός (white). It has nine blue and white stripes and a white cross. A popular explanation links the nine stripes to the nine syllables of the motto Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος (Freedom or Death). Colours also mark football and politics: Παναθηναϊκός are οι πράσινοι, Ολυμπιακός οι ερυθρόλευκοι (the red-and-whites). And many Greek fairy tales end with the rhyme Κόκκινη κλωστή δεμένη, στην ανέμη τυλιγμένη... ("a red thread tied, wound on the spinning wheel"). More idioms are on the idioms vocabulary page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say colours in Greek?
Colour is χρώμα. The basic colours are άσπρος (white), μαύρος (black), κόκκινος (red), πράσινος (green), κίτρινος (yellow), μπλε (blue), γαλάζιος (light blue), καφέ (brown), γκρι (grey), ροζ (pink), μωβ (purple) and πορτοκαλί (orange).
What is blue in Greek?
Μπλε (ble), which never changes its ending. For light blue or sky blue, Greeks say γαλάζιος, γαλάζια, γαλάζιο.
Why does μπλε not change its ending?
It is a loanword from French bleu. Most loan colours (μπλε, ροζ, μπεζ, γκρι, καφέ) are indeclinable: one form for everything.
What are the colours of the Greek flag?
Blue and white, which is why the flag is called η γαλανόλευκη, "the blue-and-white".
Learn colours together with clothes on the clothes and colours vocabulary page, and practise the adjectives with articles and gender. Colours are part of the first units of our free A1 Greek course.