English · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Colors
Build clear descriptions with eight core color adjectives.
Understand the choice
English color words are stable: one red bike, two red bikes, a black coat, black shoes. Learn them through familiar objects and contrast light, dark, and mixed descriptions.
Core rule: Color adjectives normally follow be or stand before a noun without changing for gender or number.
Notice it in context
The bicycle is red, and the helmets are black.
La bicicleta es roja y los cascos son negros.
Red follows singular is; black follows plural are, but neither color changes form.
The sea is blue, and the trees are green.
The sea has a blue color; the trees have a green color.
Blue and green appear after be without endings.
She has a yellow bag and brown shoes.
Her bag is yellow and her shoes are brown.
Yellow and brown stand before nouns and stay unchanged.
What to remember
- Use light blue and dark green as two-word color descriptions.
- Gray is common US spelling; grey is common UK spelling.
Common trap: Do not add plural -s to a color adjective: black shoes, not blacks shoes.