Colors in Portuguese

Colours are everyday words you'll use for shopping and describing things. The Portuguese list is easy, and the only real rule is that most colours change to agree with the noun.

The everyday colors

In Portugal you'll also hear castanho for brown and cinzento for grey; marrom and cinza are usual in Brazil.

The one rule: colours agree

Colours come after the noun and usually change to match it:

• Colours ending in -o have four forms: um carro vermelho, uma casa vermelha, carros vermelhos, casas vermelhas.
• Colours ending in another letter (azul, verde) change only for plural: olhos azuis, casas verdes.
• Cor-de-rosa and laranja never change: sapatos cor-de-rosa.

Handy color phrases

• Qual é a sua cor favorita? — What's your favourite colour?
• A minha cor favorita é o azul. — My favourite colour is blue.
• De que cor é? — What colour is it?

Make them stick by saying them

Colours and their agreement settle in through use. Navoq has you describe real things out loud — clothes, objects, what you'd like to buy — with pronunciation feedback, so the right ending starts coming automatically.