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A1.24: Colours

Colores

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Learn essential Spanish color words like azul, rojo, verde, and naranja while expressing preferences with phrases such as me gusta and no me gusta, focusing on everyday conversation about colors in clothing and objects.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

Spanish A1.24.1 How to combine colours?

A1.24.1 Cuento corto

¿Cómo combinar los colores?

How to combine colours?

Vocabulary (15)

Rojo: Red (Spanish)

Rojo

Show

Red Show

Blanco: White (Spanish)

Blanco

Show

White Show

Negro: Black (Spanish)

Negro

Show

Black Show

Gris: Gray (Spanish)

Gris

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Gray Show

Azul: blue (Spanish)

Azul

Show

Blue Show

Amarillo: yellow (Spanish)

Amarillo

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Yellow Show

Verde: Green (Spanish)

Verde

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Green Show

Marrón: Brown (Spanish)

Marrón

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Brown Show

Rosa: Pink (Spanish)

Rosa

Show

Pink Show

Naranja: Orange (Spanish)

Naranja

Show

Orange Show

Violeta: violet (Spanish)

Violeta

Show

Violet Show

Gustar (to like) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Gustar

Show

To like Show

El color: The colour (Spanish)

El color

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The colour Show

Maquillarse (to put on makeup) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Maquillarse

Show

To put on makeup Show

Odiar (to hate) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Odiar

Show

To hate Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Reorder sentences

Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.

Show answers
1.
las paredes. | Me gusta | color azul | mucho el | para pintar
Me gusta mucho el color azul para pintar las paredes.
(I really like the color blue for painting the walls.)
2.
en la | gusta el | No me | ropa. | color marrón
No me gusta el color marrón en la ropa.
(I don't like the color brown in clothing.)
3.
coches rojos | ¿Te gustan | verdes? | o los | más los
¿Te gustan más los coches rojos o los verdes?
(Do you like red cars or green ones more?)
4.
color rosa | habitación. | hermana le | para su | gusta el | A mi
A mi hermana le gusta el color rosa para su habitación.
(My sister likes the color pink for her room.)
5.
puertas. | gusta la | para las | pintura negra | No nos
No nos gusta la pintura negra para las puertas.
(We don't like black paint for the doors.)
6.
la combinación | de colores | naranja y | blanco? | ¿Os gusta
¿Os gusta la combinación de colores naranja y blanco?
(Do you like the combination of orange and white colors?)

Exercise 2: Match a word

Instruction: Match the translations

Me gusta mucho el color azul porque es tranquilo y bonito. (I really like the color blue because it is calm and pretty.)
Ella no se maquilla para ir a trabajar. (She doesn't wear makeup to go to work.)
No me gusta el color marrón para la ropa de verano. (I don't like the color brown for summer clothes.)
Los coches rojos me gustan mucho por su brillo. (Red cars I like a lot because of their shine.)

Exercise 3: Cluster the words

Instruction: Classify the words into two groups depending on whether they are colors or names of objects that can be described with colors.

Colores

Objetos comunes

Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

Rosa

Pink

2

Naranja

Orange

3

Verde

Green

4

Blanco

White

5

Maquillarse

To put on makeup

Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise

Instrucción:

  1. Describe the colours of the clothes. (Describe the colours of the clothes.)
  2. Describe the hair colour of each person. (Describe the hair colour of each person.)
  3. Describe your own appearance. (Describe your own appearance.)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Colors

Example phrases:

Los zapatos son blancos.

The shoes are white.

Tiene el pelo castaño.

She has brown hair.

La mujer lleva un traje amarillo.

The woman is wearing a yellow suite.

Ella tiene el pelo rubio.

She has blond hair.

Llevo una blusa morada.

I'm wearing a purple blouse.

Alice lleva botas negras.

Alice is wearing black boots.

Ella lleva un par de vaqueros.

She is wearing a pair of jeans.

...

Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

1

En la tienda de ropa

2

En casa describiendo objetos

3

En el mercado de frutas y verduras

Exercise 7: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. ___ el color azul para la pared de la sala.

(___ the blue color for the living room wall.)

2. A mi esposa ___ mucho el vestido rojo que compró.

(My wife ___ really likes the red dress she bought.)

3. No ___ la camisa negra que vi en la tienda.

(I don't ___ the black shirt that I saw at the store.)

4. Nos ___ mucho maquillarnos antes de la reunión importante.

(We ___ really like to put on makeup before the important meeting.)

Exercise 8: An afternoon of colors and tastes

Instruction:

Hoy, yo (Maquillarse - Presente) temprano porque (Ir - Presente) a una reunión importante. A mi amiga Ana (Gustar - Presente) mucho el color azul, pero a mí no. Nosotros siempre (Maquillarse - Presente) juntos antes de salir. A ella (Gustar - Presente) la ropa verde, y yo prefiero la ropa negra. En la oficina, muchas personas (Odiar - Presente) los colores muy brillantes, pero a mí no me importan mucho. Por la tarde, tú y yo (Gustar - Presente) de caminar por el parque y mirar los colores de las flores y los árboles.

Today, I put on makeup early because I am going to an important meeting. My friend Ana likes the color blue a lot, but I don’t. We always put on makeup together before going out. She likes green clothes, and I prefer black clothes. At the office, many people hate very bright colors, but I don't mind them much. In the afternoon, you and I like to walk through the park and look at the colors of the flowers and the trees.

Verb Tables

Maquillarse - Maquillarse

Presente

  • yo me maquillo
  • tú te maquillas
  • él/ella/usted se maquilla
  • nosotros/nosotras nos maquillamos
  • vosotros/vosotras os maquilláis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes se maquillan

Gustar - Gustar

Presente

  • (a mí) me gusta
  • (a ti) te gusta
  • (a él/ella/usted) le gusta
  • (a nosotros/nosotras) nos gusta
  • (a vosotros/vosotras) os gusta
  • (a ellos/ellas/ustedes) les gusta

Odiar - Odiar

Presente

  • yo odio
  • tú odias
  • él/ella/usted odia
  • nosotros/nosotras odiamos
  • vosotros/vosotras odiáis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes odian

Ir - Ir

Presente

  • yo voy
  • tú vas
  • él/ella/usted va
  • nosotros/nosotras vamos
  • vosotros/vosotras vais
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes van

Exercise 9: Expresar gustos y disgustos: (no) me gusta

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: Expressing likes and dislikes: (no) me gusta

Show translation Show answers

no les gusta, te gustan, no os gusta, le gusta, no le gustan, me gustan, me gusta, os gusta

1. Gustar:
A vosotros ... muchas cosas.
(You like many things.)
2. No gustar:
A vosotros ... el color violeta.
(You don't like the colour purple.)
3. Gustar:
A mí ... las mujeres con labios rojos.
(I like women with red lips.)
4. Gustar:
A tí ... todos los colores.
(You like all colours.)
5. No gustar:
A ellos ... llevar ropa negra.
(They don't like wearing black clothes.)
6. No gustar:
A él ... los frutos rojos.
(He doesn't like red berries.)
7. Gustar:
A ella ... maquillarse.
(She likes to put on makeup.)
8. Gustar:
A mí ... el color rosa.
(I like the colour pink.)

Grammar

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A1.24.2 Gramática

Expresar gustos y disgustos: (no) me gusta

Expressing likes and dislikes: (no) me gusta

Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Maquillarse to put on makeup

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) me maquillo I put on makeup
(tú) te maquillas You put on makeup
(él/ella) se maquilla he/she puts on makeup
(nosotros/nosotras) nos maquillamos we put on makeup
(vosotros/vosotras) os maquilláis You put on makeup
(ellos/ellas) se maquillan They put on makeup

Exercises and examples phrases

Gustar to like

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) me gusta I like
(tú) te gusta You like
(él/ella) le gusta he/she likes
(nosotros/nosotras) nos gusta we like
(vosotros/vosotras) os gusta You like
(ellos/ellas) les gusta they like

Exercises and examples phrases

Odiar to hate

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) odio I hate
(tú) odias You hate
(él/ella) odia he/she hates
(nosotros/nosotras) odiamos we hate
(vosotros/vosotras) odiáis You hate
(ellos/ellas) odian they hate

Exercises and examples phrases

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Lesson Overview: Colours in Spanish

This lesson introduces you to basic and specific colour vocabulary in Spanish, focusing on how to express preferences and dislikes related to colours. You will learn common colour words, practice making statements about what you like or don't like using the verb gustar, and get familiar with everyday dialogues that include colour descriptions.

Key Vocabulary: Basic and Specific Colours

The lesson covers both
Basic Colours:

  • el amarillo (yellow)
  • el azul (blue)
  • el blanco (white)
  • el negro (black)
  • el rojo (red)
  • el verde (green)

and Specific or Compound Colours:

  • el marrón (brown)
  • el naranja (orange)

Expressing Likes and Dislikes

You will practise sentences with (no) me gusta to say whether you like or dislike something, as well as intensifiers like mucho. Examples include:

  • Me gusta mucho el color azul porque es muy tranquilo.
  • No me gusta la ropa marrón; prefiero la ropa negra o blanca.
  • ¿Te gustan más los coches rojos o los verdes?

Useful Expressions and Grammar Highlights

The verb gustar works differently from English 'to like'. In Spanish, the thing liked is the subject, so phrases translate literally as "the blue colour pleases me." Remember the structure: me/te/le/nos/os/les gusta(n) + singular/plural noun.

You will also practise basic present tense conjugations of verbs related to personal preferences and habits, such as maquillarse (to put on makeup), amar (to love), and odiar (to hate), enhancing your ability to describe feelings about colours and objects.

Practical Dialogues

The lesson includes dialogues set in everyday contexts like clothing stores, talking about coloured pencils, or discussing car colours. This helps you learn to describe colours naturally and express preferences in conversation.

Cultural Note and Language Tips

Spanish frequently uses the definite article before colours (el azul rather than just azul) when referring to colours as nouns. Also, unlike English, the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, for example, colores suaves (soft colours) and colores rosas (pink colours).

Useful phrases include:

  • ¿Qué llevas hoy? – What are you wearing today?
  • ¿Te gusta esta camisa azul? – Do you like this blue shirt?
  • Me gusta mucho... – I really like...
  • No me gusta... – I don't like...

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